Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Take a Look Around!

1/31/2019

"O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures." -Psalm 104:24 (ESV)

When it is cold outside, iIt may be hard to stop and take notice of everything around us. However, we are always surrounded by God's creation. He has created with wisdom and His creation includes each of us!

God created with intent and purpose. His works are great and includes each of us. In a world full of His creatures, He made us with a purpose. We need to take the time to look around at God's glorious creation, then we can listen to God and find our purpose!

Take a look around at God's creation and allow Him to show you your purpose in it!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the beauty of Your creation. Help me to appreciate Your creation and to listen as You lead me in my purpose. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Favorite Things!

1/30/2019

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

If we were asked to list our favorite things, we would probably each come up with many different things. Different things may bring us joy, but if we listed honorable, just and commendable things, we may see more similarity in our lists. We know that God provides all of these things!

Even though different things may be our favorites, God teaches us similar lessons. His Truth is always the same. When we need to persevere and move forward, we can think of our favorite things from God and allow Him to guide our lives. We can then praise Him for all that is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and our favorite!

Keep your focus on God and the favorite things that come from Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for all that You provide. Help me to always keep my focus on You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Peace & Quiet (& Security)!

1/29/2019

"And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and security forever." -Isaiah 32:17 (ESV)

Surgeon and author Bernie Siegel wrote that, "Love and peace of mind do protect us. They allow us to overcome the problems that life hands us. They teach us to survive...to live now...to have the courage to confront each day." Peace can bring us security, but we may struggle to find that peace in the world!

Instead of looking to the world to provide peace, we need to look to God. When we seek Him and follow Him, we can begin to live righteous lives. Lives filled with God's righteousness will produce a peace that goes beyond anything we could find in the world. God's presence in this peace that He gives will offer us comfort, protection, and strength. Through God's peace, we can overcome challenges and live not only today, but in the security of God's eternity!

Seek God and know the quietness and security of the peace that only He can give!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the peace that You offer me in my life. Help me to always follow, trust, and find comfort in the security that only You can provide. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Free From Sin!

1/28/2019

"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." -Romans 6:14 (ESV)

There are many things that can take control in our lives. Sometimes we can let things into our lives that have a negative influence or control over our lives. When we recognize these negative influences, we have help breaking free!

We all know that sin can control our lives. The good news is that God already has a plan to help us overcome sin. Jesus Christ is the answer! God has mercy and grace. We just need to remember to turn to God and accept the redemption offered through Jesus. We won't be perfect and it may take more than one attempt as our faith continues to grow, but we can listen to God and break free from the control of sin in our lives!

Believe in Jesus Christ and the grace of God so you can break free from the control of sin!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and forgiveness through Him. Help me to always trust in and follow You so I can break free from the control of sin. In His name I pray, amen.

Accept Peace!

1/27/2019

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." -John 14:27 (ESV)

Many people will say that they want peace in their lives. However, when we reflect on our lives, we may see times when we do not accept opportunities for peace in our lives. As author George Orwell reminded us, "Happiness can exist only in acceptance."

God sent Jesus to earth to offer us a pathway to eternal life. Through God's plan and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been offered a redemptive peace that only God can provide. However, we cannot be truly happy without accepting God's offer to us. We can have peace from God, but we need to accept it!

God is offering you a peace that only He can provide. Accept it!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the peace that You provide in my life. Help me to always accept that peace that You offer. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Mind Set Above?

1/26/2019

"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." -Romans 8:6 (ESV)

When we think of having our "head in the clouds," it is usually a reminder to stay focused on the task at hand. We feel that we need to remain grounded, based in what we perceive as reality and important in the moment. We do need to be grounded, but we also need to keep our mind set on things beyond earth!

If we just focus on our human desires, wishes, or needs here on earth, we will be doomed to a life that leads to certain death. Instead of living to die, we can live for eternity with God. To live with God, we need to keep our mind set on His Spirit, on the love, redemption, and peace that He offers. We can keep our head in the clouds as long as our minds are set on God above!

Keep your mind set on God above and live in Him for eternity!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the love, redemption, and peace that You have given me. Help me to always follow You for eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Watching Over Forever!

1/25/2019

"The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." -Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV)

I recently read a book about leadership. One of the main themes was that in order to be a leader, you need to create a safe environment for others. We need to feel safe before we can be productive, before we can help each other, and move the whole group forward. When we are looking for a feeling of safety in our lives, we can turn to God!

God is always looking out for us. When we pray to God and follow Him, we can be reassured that we will be safe. The great thing about the safety provided by God is that it lasts forever! God's watch never ends. His help and protection will last forever. When we are looking for safety, we just need to look to God and call on Him!

Call on God and allow Him to watch over you and keep you safe forever!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for protecting me and keeping me safe. Help me to always follow You, now and forever. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

New Me!

1/24/2019

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." -Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

We have opportunities in our lives to change and become "new." As a quote that I recently read says, "There's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." When we choose to follow God, we are not only renewed, we are reborn!

The Psalmist's song asks God to create a pure heart and a renewed, steadfast spirit in him. We can ask God for these same things. God has also given us His Son. Through Jesus Christ, we can have a new life. We can leave behind what we were yesterday in order to become better. Jesus can help us to have a purer heart and a renewed spirit. We can become something new through the grace and mercy of God!

Become a "new you" with a pure heart and renewed spirit given through Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your grace and mercy and the gift of Your Son. Help me to be a new person that is better than yesterday. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Graceful Strength!

1/23/2019

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." -II Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

There are different ways to be strong. We may work to build our emotional or mental strength. We may follow plans to build physical strength. Even though these types of strength may be necessary in life, it is most important to improve our spiritual strength!

We can find strength in God. He can help us build emotional, mental, and physical strength, but more importantly, He can help us build spiritual strength! It is through God's grace shown to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, that we can be strong. We are forgiven through Him and can begin new lives. In our lives committed to God, we can experience a grace-filled strength that goes beyond anything we could build on our own!

Be strong by accepting the grace of God offered through His Son!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your grace through Your redeeming Son. Help me to always rely on You for strength. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Searching?

1/22/2019

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

Finding answers or figuring out how to do things may be easier now than ever. With technology, we can search for instant answers and "how-to" videos. Even though we may feel we have all the answers, we need to be sure we are getting the right answers. When we need the essential answers for life, we need to seek God!

God has the eternal answers for our lives. When we need answers, we need to ask, to seek Him, and wait for Him to open the door. Turning to God is even easier than searching the internet. We just need to stop and talk to God. We can pray and then wait for His response. We can search and find answers in His guidance, helping us to learn and grow with eternal answers!

When you need answers in life, turn to God in prayer!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the answers that You have given to me. Help me to always turn to You for answers in life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Common Sense?

1/21/2019

"Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame." -I Corinthians 15:34 (NIV)

I have often hear the lament that "common sense" isn't so common. As Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so common." While we may think common sense is lacking, we may just be ignoring the sense we have been given. We need to return to our senses!

God has given us His Word that is full of lessons. He has also given us His Son as a sacrifice for our sin and the Holy Spirit as our guide. We need to keep our focus on God and these gifts that He has given us. When we focus on Him, we can be reminded to return the our senses, the sense that He provides, in order to avoid the shame of sin!

Return to the sense that God has given and make every effort to stop sinning!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the lessons that You provide. Help me to return to my senses and to stop sinning. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Wrong Isn't Right!

1/20/2019

"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." -I Thessalonians 5:15 (NIV)

We've probably all heard the saying that, "Two wrongs don't make a right." Sometimes when things aren't going our way, we can be tempted to repay wrong with wrong. When this urge or temptation arises, we need to remember God's gift to us!

Even though we sin and do wrong, God doesn't repay us with more wrong. Instead, God offers us love and forgiveness. As we approach others in our lives, we need to follow this example. We need to always do what is right, what is just, and what is loving, regardless of what others might do to us!

Do what is right and good, no matter what others might be doing!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the gift of forgiveness and redemption through Your Son. Help me to always do what is right and to avoid repaying wrong with wrong. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Lend a Hand & Stand for Justice!

1/19/2019

"Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice." -Psalm 112:5 (NIV)

A local radio host was recently discussing the topic of justice. In his opinion, it is up to each person to improve their lives on their own. While we might like to think that we can make great strides on our own, we often rely on generosity and justice. Both of these things originate in God!

God is the ultimate judge and He is just. He is generous and loving as He teaches us about justice, grace, and mercy. As we learn from God, we also need to put these lessons into practice. It is up to us to show love, to be generous, and to lend a hand. It is also up to all of us to stand for justice and to act in ways that support justice, not only according to the letter of the law but also in the spirit of God's love, forgiveness, and redemption in our lives!

Lend a hand, be generous, and always stand for justice!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being just, but also for being loving and generous. Help me to learn from You and to always put into practice what You have taught me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Take Advice!

1/18/2019

"Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." -Proverbs 13:10 (NIV)

There is a certain pride in accomplishing a job on your own, but there are times when we all need help. When we try to find our way through life, we need to be able to accept help. By taking advice, we can grow, become wiser, and overcome obstacles that we may be facing!

Some of the advice we get comes directly from God. We can see the signs or hear His voice in still, quiet moments. There are other times that God places people and events in our lives to help us hear and see His advice and guidance. When God is trying to give us advice, we need to be receptive. We need to be humble, listen to the advice we are given, and find a wisdom that helps us through whatever challenges we face!

Be humble and take advice to grow and overcome challenges of life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the advice that You provide. Help me to always hear and heed the advice that You place in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Humility, Patience, Love

1/17/2019

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." -Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

As we move through life, there are times that challenge us and require us to be humble and patient. While we may often think of having patience with others, we also need to have patience with ourselves. As Saint Francis de Sales said, "Have patience with all things, but, first of all with yourself."

When we turn to God, we can be sure that He will respond with love and patience. Just as God loves us and has patience with us, we need to love and be patient with ourselves. This doesn't mean letting ourselves off the hook for our thoughts and behaviors, but that we need to understand that we are works in progress. Once we begin to love ourselves and have patience, we can love and be patient with one another. Throughout our journeys in life, we can be humble, gentle, and kind as we love one another!

Be humble as you learn to love and have patience with yourself so you can love and have patience with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being patient with me and for loving me. Help me to love You, love myself, and then share this love with others. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Healing Faith

1/16/2019

"'Go,' said Jesus, 'your faith has healed you.' Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." -Mark 10:52 (NIV)

There are many people that search for healing or ways to improve their lives. We may think this healing comes in the form of a pill, a new diet plan, an organizational scheme, or a number of other things. We expect that any of these may make us feel better. While they may give us some temporary relief or joy, there is only one thing that can give eternal healing.

We can have more than temporary joy or relief. With faith in God, we can experience more than we could ever imagine. We can be healed from the inside out. When we turn to God and experience His blessings, we should choose to follow Him "down the road." God's blessings are not temporary and our commitment to Him shouldn't be short-lived. We can follow God and allow our healing faith to continue to grow not only now, but for eternity!

Follow God and have a faith that heals forever!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the blessings in my life. Help me to always have faith and to be healed now and forever. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Giving Peace!

1/15/2019

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” -Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

I was recently talking with a colleague about teaching. It seems that there are some that look to benefit from educating our students. As they look for benefits or profits, some lose sight of actually serving the needs of our kids. When we interact with each other, we shouldn't lose sight of what each of us need along our journeys!

God doesn't forget or neglect what we need. He is there for us, for each of our needs. We don't have to worry about God losing sight of these needs. We can be confident that God is looking out for our best interests and we can look out for each other, too. We don't need to look for ways in which we can benefit ourselves, but we can ask God to share grace and peace with others. When we look to God and look out for each other, we can be given a peace that only God can provide!

Call on God and share the peace that only He can give!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always looking out for my best interests. Help me to accept the peace You give and share it with others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Praise, Not Afraid!

1/14/2019

"In God, whose word I praise--in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" -Psalm 56:4 (NIV)

What do you do when faced with fear? Biology tells us that we have two responses - fight or flight. We either stand up to our fears or we avoid them. Things that are scary or cause fear are bound to pop up in our lives, but we don't have to face them alone!

God is always by our side. When we praise Him and trust in His power in our lives, we do not need to fear. God knows what we need to do in each moment. He will guide our actions as we either face our fear or find ways to work around it. By praising God and calling on Him, we can overcome our fears!

When faced with fears, don't be afraid...call on God and praise His name!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being by my side. Help me to remember to call on You whenever I face my fears. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Slow Down!

1/13/2019

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." -James 1:19 (NIV)

As time passes, it seems to go by faster and faster. It may be that technology allows us to access information almost instantaneously, that we are getting older, or a combination of those or other factors. While time is flying by, there are moments when we may get easily frustrated. It is during these times that we especially need to slow down!

When we follow God, we should act out of the love that God has shown us. When we are showing His love, we need to be patient. This means that in those moments when we are frustrated or angered, we need to slow down before we speak. We need to first take the time to listen, understand, and call on God's wisdom before we speak. We can then slow down and act on God's love as we treat each other with respect, patience and love!

Slow down and don't be quick to act so you can call on God and embrace His love before you speak!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your patience in my life. Help me to slow down and call on You before I speak and act. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Whole Truth

1/12/2019

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies." -Psalm 34:13 (NIV)

When things are posted online they tend to live forever. Celebrities, politicians, and every day people can all be caught up in words posted either recently or years ago. Whether we are talking or posting, we need to tell the whole truth. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Half a truth is often a great lie."

We have been provided many ways to find the truth. God has given us His Word in which He reveals His Truth. We can also learn truth from talking to God in prayer and listening to Him. We can learn from the experiences that He provides in our lives. After learning God's Truth, we should be sure to tell the truth...the whole truth. When we tell God's Truth we can be sure that it will be for good and will last for eternity!

Tell God's whole truth for all of eternity!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Truth. Help me to know it and to always tell the whole truth. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Walking in Faith and Love

1/11/2019

"And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." -Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)

We all have different journeys or walks through life. Through each of them, there are times when the walk is easy and times when the walk may be more challenging. As we move through life it is always good to, as Garth Brooks said, "Stand straight, walk proud, and have a little faith."

Our walks should begin with faith in God that will allow us to do great things. By walking in faith, the great things we do should be in service to God and be based in His love. We can take the blessings that we receive from God and share them with others. As we do this, we can encourage others to join us in our faithful walk with Jesus Christ!

Walk in faith and love from God and invite others to walk with you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love. Help me to always have faith in You and to invite others to walk with You each and every day. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Handiwork!

1/10/2019

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

One of my hobbies is painting. I like to create things. Some of my paintings turn out better than I expected. Even though not all of my handiwork turns out as good as I may like, God always has the perfect plan for His handiwork...for us!

God created each of us with a purpose. We are created to do good. God prepares us and supports us throughout our journeys. When we choose to follow God's plan, we can be sure that our lives will reflect God's amazing handiwork. We can shine a light into the darkness as we reflect His love and compassion to others!

You are God's handiwork, follow His plan, do good works, and be a light for others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for creating me and leading me. Help me to relfect Your light so others can see You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Pay Attention!

1/9/2019

"My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart." -Proverbs 4:20-21 (NIV)

There are times when my students may seem to be paying attention, but when I finish giving directions, there is someone that asks, "What are we supposed to do?" Even when we seem to be paying attention, we may not really be listening. If we want to know what to do, we need to pay attention to God!

God has a plan for each of our lives, but in order for us to follow the plans, we need to pay attention! When we pay attention, we need to take God's Word and His lessons and keep them close to us. Furthermore, once our hearts are filled with God's Word, we need to take what is in our hearts and follow God's plans. By paying attention, we can follow God and be productive in His Kingdom!

Pay attention to God's plan, keep His Word in your heart, and follow Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your wisdom and guidance. Help me to pay attention, keep Your Word in my heart, and follow Your plans for my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Live Truth!

1/8/2019

"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." -I John 1:6 (NIV)

Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying, "A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." With the internet and constant access to all types of media, word can spread quicker than ever! When we think we are spreading truth, we need to be careful we are not helping lies speed through our lives and around the world. We need to find and live truth!

Fortunately, we do not have to struggle to find truth. We can find truth by turning to God. However, this is only the first step. After we know the truth, we must put it into action. We need to live God's truth! It is through our living the truth that we can help it to spread around the world and overtake the lies!

Know God's truth and then put it into action by living God's truth!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the truth that You have given. Help me to always live Your truth in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

He Still Says, "Come!"

1/7/2019

"We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws." -Daniel 9:5 (NIV)

We all have those times that we regret. We make mistakes. We do those thing that we know we should not do. What defines us is not these failures, but how we respond. What do we do after we sin and do wrong?

Even though we have sinned and done wrong, God still calls us to Him. He will forgive our sins, no matter what they are. As we move closer to God, we can learn from Him. With God's support, love, and strength in our lives, we can begin to turn away from our wicked and rebellious ways. As we move away from wickedness, we can move closer to God and all that is good in Him!

Go to God, moving away from wickedness and towards eternal glory with Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for calling me closer to You. Please forgive me and help me move away from wickedness so I can be near to You. In Jesus I pray, amen.