Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Depend

1/31/2020

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge." -Psalm 62:7 (NIV)

Many of us like to be independent. We want to do things our way when we want to do them. Even though we may think we could be independent, we need God. We are dependent on Him!

Whether we willingly or unwillingly admit it, we are dependent. We can choose if we depend on the temporary things of this world or on the eternal God. God is everlasting. He can be our rock and our refuge. We just need to commit to God, our salvation and honor depend on it!

Depend on God because your salvation and honor depend on Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for salvation and honor that can only come through You. Help me to rely on You, my Rock and Refuge. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

In Love

1/30/2020

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." -I John 4:16 (NIV)

In All's Well that Ends Well, William Shakespeare wrote, "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." We are called to love one another. Living in love is not always easy, especially if we feel betrayed or that we have been wronged. As we try to live in love and not wrong anyone, we need God's love!

God calls us to live in love. To live in love, we need to know and rely on God and the love that He has for each and every one of us. Drawing on God's love, we can live in God and live in love. Living in love, we can try our best to not wrong anyone and to share God's love. We just need to start by being in God's love!

Live in God and live in love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love. Help me to live in You and Your love so I can share Your love with others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Little or Much?

1/29/2020

"Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil." -Proverbs 15:16 (NIV)

Sometimes we see things that make us "dream" of having more. We may see a mansion, a fancy car, or new fashion. Often, the price tag is a reality check. But do we take this time to be thankful for what we do have?

Sometimes people say "more money, more problems!" We reminded about this in Proverbs. Great wealth cannot bring us true happiness. It cannot fulfill our souls. If we have God in our lives, He can give us happiness and fulfillment with whatever we have - no matter how little or how much. With God, we can appreciate our blessings and be thankful for all that He has provided in our lives!

With God in your life, you can be happy and fulfilled - no matter how little or how much you have!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all the blessings in my life. Help me to rely on and trust in You for true happiness and fulfillment now and forever. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Stand Strong!

1/28/2020

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." -Ephesians 6:10 (ESV)

A friend recently posted a picture that showed two people stuck in a hole. While one sat sitting and sulking, the other was using a rock to dig stairs to provide a way out of the whole. We know life has its ups and downs, but we can choose how we respond. We can sit and sulk or we can stand strong!

We know that good times come and go. Each event we face in life provides a chance to grow. It is up to us to stand tall and choose to grow. We can choose to grow and become closer to God or we can choose to try and stand on our own. Even if we think we are strong, we need to rely on God. It is only through God's strength and power that we can stand strong, overcome this world, and prepare for eternity with Him!

Stand strong with God and prepare for eternity with Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the strength and power that You provide. Help me wo rely on You and to prepare for eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

What is Possible?

1/27/2020

"Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'" -Luke 18:27 (NIV)

We all have those moments in life when certain things seem insurmountable. We may think things are impossible because of our limited knowledge or limited skill. However, we will never make progress if we give up and decide that what we see in front of us is impossible!

We may see things as impossible or even hopeless. When we take on this view, we are looking through our limited perspectives. We cannot see the full picture. Yet we should not give up and we should not settle for things being "impossible." It is during these times that we should turn to God and allow Him to show us what is possible. When we trust in God, all things are possible! We just need to follow and trust in His power and wisdom!

What is possible? Anything with God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for helping to make the impossible possible. Help me to always trust in Your wisdom and power. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Prized Possessions!

1/26/2020

"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." -Romans 14:8 (NIV)

We probably all have at least one "prized possession." Some of these prized possessions may have little monetary worth, but the hold immense sentimental value. While we value these things, we don't likely live or die by these items!

We know that our earthly possessions are not permanent. We can have "prized possessions", but these things should not define us or our lives. We should not live or die by earthly possessions. Instead, we should focus on the one possession that matters: our relationship with God! Each of us is one of God's prized possessions and our relationship with Him should be ours!

Be sure that your relationship with God is your prized possession because you are one of His!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me and making me one of Your prized possessions. Help me to have a relationship with You that is my prized possession. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

No Lie!

1/25/2020

"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator." -Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV)

When studying and completing research, one lesson is to present information without bias. The facts should be just as they are, so each person can interpret and apply them. Unfortunately, "facts" are not always what they appear. Many times we get ideas that are filtered through and influenced by what others want us to hear. We not only need to be aware of what we hear, but also of what we spread to others!

When we choose to follow God, we are making a commitment to the truth, to His Truth. We should not lie to one another. We should not distort the facts that are given to us by God. We need to leave behind the parts of ourselves that are tempted to lie and become a new person through Jesus Christ. We can then renew our faith in the Words that have been given to us by our Creator. We can speak facts with no lies!

Follow God, learn His Truth, become your new self with no lies!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word and Your Truth. Help me to know You and Your Truth and to spread it without lies. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Fruits of Lips!

1/24/2020

"Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." -Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

For all the wrong and failure we may experience, there is also good in our lives and in the world around us. While it may be easy to get down, we cannot forget about the good in our lives. We need to acknowledge God and praise His name!

God is good and He is present in our lives. We need to take time to be thankful and praise God for all that He does for each and every one of us! To acknowledge God, we can offer up sacrifices. Hebrews reminds us that this can include sacrifices of praise to God. We can praise and honor Him with our words. We can offer Him fruits of our lips so others can know of His glory!

Offer God praise as fruit from your lips and allow others to witness God's goodness in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being good and being in my life. All praise and honor to You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Faith in the Word

1/23/2020

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." -Romans 10:17 (NIV)

Some estimates say that we hear anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 words each day, not counting all of the words we may read. Depending on what we are doing, we may or may not be giving our attention to actually "hearing" the messages from all of these words. No matter how many words we hear, we need to be sure we act on God's Word!

When we are reading or hearing God's Word, we need to listen to the message. It is God's message that can help us grow in our faith. It is God's Word that allows us to have a deeper understanding of God and His involvement in our lives. In our days that are filled with so many words, we need to make time for God's Word. We can pray and give our attention to hearing His message. As we have faith we can share God's Word with others!

Grow in faith by making time for hearing the message of God's Word!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word and the lessons You continue to teach me. Help me to grow in faith as I hear the messages of Your Word. In Jeus I pray, amen.

Like Honey!

1/22/2020

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." -Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

Honey is an amazing food. Honey that is hundreds and even thousands of years old has been discovered. It is claimed that honey never expires and that it has healing properties. When we think about good and gracious words, they can be like honey!

Sometimes we forget the impact our words can have on others. Gracious words filled with God's love and compassion are like honey. Our words can be lasting. They can fill a person's soul and heal one's heart. As we live for God, we can help make a difference in the world by using our words like honey to encourage and heal others!

Use love-filled words like honey - sweet and long-lasting - to help encourage and heal!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and encouragement throughout my life. Help me to spread Your love through words that are long-lasting and healing. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Guess Who!

1/21/2020

"Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory." -Psalm 24:10 (NIV)

There is a game called "Guess Who!" My daughter likes to play the game which consists of asking yes or no questions and trying to figure out the character of your opponent. The game requires questions and thinking to figure things out. Fortunately for us, we do not have to play games to figure out God!

God reveals Himself to us in many ways. We may have personal experiences that are unique to each of us. We also have the Bible to help us understand who God is. By reading the Bible and talking to God, we can ask Him to introduce Himself to us. When we do that, we don't need to ask, "Who is He?" We will know that God is the King of glory. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator and Lord of all. We don't have to guess who God is or what He expects of His followers. We can read God's Word, pray to Him, and live our lives so others can know Him too!

You don't have to "guess who", just read the Bible and allow God to introduce Himself to you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for letting me know You. Help me to live so others can know You too. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Repayment

1/20/2020

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." -I Peter 3:9 (NIV)

There is evil in the world. We know this and may take tis fact for granted. We warn our kids or others. We prepare for how we could protect against evil, but do we think about how we will respond to evil? Will we repay evil with evil?

It is often easy to retaliate or repay evil with more evil. However, this approach results in more evil. Instead, we are called to rise above evil, yet we cannot do this on our own. In order to rise above evil, we need to turn to God. We need to accept Him and His love. It is only through God that we can repay evil with blessings and love!

Allow God to help you repay evil with blessings and love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the blessings and love that You have given to me. Help me to spread these blessings and love and to repay evil with blessings. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

One

1/19/2020

"Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." -I Corinthians 8:6 (NIV)

There are many times in our lives when we may look for different options. We may look for the best price, the best selection, or just for something we prefer. While trying to find the best option can be beneficial, when it comes to God we need to remember that there is only one!

There is only one God. He has only one Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We should only worship God and His Son. We should only seek redemption and salvation through the one pathway that God has established for us. Instead of searching for unfulfilling options offered by the world, we need trust and commit to the One!

There is only one God. Commit to and follow Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being the One. Help me to always follow You without concern about worldly options. In Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Careful Steps, but Steps!

1/18/2020

"Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways." -Proverbs 4:26 (NIV)

When we look around the world, we probably see lots of things we would like to see changed. As we recognize what needs to be changed, we can either choose to sit and hope someone makes the change or we can take steps to help foster change. The steps that we take should follow God's guidance!

God has called us as His followers to make a positive impact on the world. We live in the world, but we need to not conform to the world. To make change happen in the world around us, we need to take steps. We cannot sit on the sidelines. However, we need to be careful and sure that our steps are set in God's ways. When our steps are aligned with God's, we can be sure that we can make an impact and leave the world a better place!

Don't just sit and watch, take careful steps aligned with God to help make the world a better place!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your strength and guidance. Help me to take steps, the right steps, to help further Your Kingdom and to make the world a better place. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Be a Delight!

1/17/2020

"For the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory." -Psalm 149:4 (NIV)

Sometimes we are a delight to be around, but there are other times when we may not be such a delight! Our actions and words can draw people closer or push them away. However, we are called to work for God so He can take delight in us!

When working for God, we can and should be a delight for others. By helping others to see God's work in our lives, He can take delight in us. As we humbly work for God, He will bless our work and allow others to see Him through the love that we show. We can humbly spread God's love, be victorious in spreading the Good News, and be a delight to others and to God!

Show God's love and compassion to others so you can be a delight!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your support in helping me be victorious for You and Your Kingdom. Help me to continue to delight You by allowing others to see You in my words and actions. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Blessed for the Work!

1/16/2020

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." -II Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)

I have many ideas and projects. I have my vision of what I would like to accomplish, but I don't always have what I need. As I take time to gather resources, to learn and reflect on my goals, I also realize that I need help. When we realize and are ready to accept help, we can find blessings from God that can help in our work!

When we work for the Lord, we can be assured that He is there to help us. We can find blessings that will strengthen, sustain, and guide us. We can know that in all things and at all times, God is all we need. Whether it is in our own projects or in helping others, we are blessed and prepared for our work for God. We need to be willing to accept His blessings and help in all we do!

Accept God's blessings and preparation for your work for Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your blessings. Help me to always work for You and Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Committed to Completed!

1/15/2020

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

I have several projects around the house that are started, but not finished. Whether we start a project with demolition or following the first of many steps, we don't see the result unless we stay focused and committed. Our lives are projects, too. Are we ready to stay committed?

We are works in progress. God is working to complete and perfect us. In order for us to be complete, we need to follow all of the steps. More importantly, we need to allow God to work in and on our lives. It is only when we commit to Him and listen to His teaching that we can know and follow the steps that lead us to completion in Jesus Christ!

Commit to following God's steps and allow God to work in completing you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your teaching and work in my life. Help me to follow You and Your steps for completing my life in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him I pray, amen.

Fight, Finish, Faith

1/14/2020

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." -II Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

It is nice when things go "according to the plan." We also know, maybe all too well, that things often do not go as we hope. As we approach our plans and the other things that life gives us, we need to be prepared to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep our faith!

It is by keeping our faith that we can be ready to fight the good fights that are before us. We can trust in God and allow Him to give us the strength to fight and the endurance to finish the race. It is through our faith that we can stand tall, even when we are faced with unfavorable odds or daunting tasks. With our faith, we can fight and finish the missions that God gives us!

Have faith so you can fight the good fights and finish the races that God sets before you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the strength and endurance to finish the fights and races that You have given me. Help me to always rely on and grow in my faith. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Be Prepared!

1/13/2020

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." -Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

All of our journeys require us to be prepared. We may need to know where we are going, what we need for our journey, and direction in how to get there. We can try to figure out all of these things for ourselves, but it is often best if we can get advice from someone that has completed a similar journey.

We need to be prepared for our spiritual journeys, too. We can try to figure things out on our own, but there is a better way to prepare. God is with us. Jesus has lived on earth. They know us and what we need for our journey. Instead of trying to on our own, we can call on them for help. We can ask for God - our Rock and Redeemer - to prepare our hearts and minds and to help our words be appropriate and acceptable!

Get ready for the journey by allowing God to prepare your words, heart, and mind!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your willingness to prepare me. Help me to accept Your direction and preparation. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Learn the Secret!

1/12/2020

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." -Philippians 4:12 (ESV)

Life is full of highs and lows. We know that some days of our lives will be better than others. We can celebrate our successes, but we also need to be prepared to survive our "lower" days. There is a secret to both celebrating and surviving. That secret is God!

While we may talk about searching for the "secret of life," God has already provided it to us. Through our highs and lows, we simply need to have faith, trust in God, and continually communicate with Him. He has provided for our salvation and redemption. He has shared with us His love and strength. He is happy with our praises and celebrations. We know the secret, we just need to use it!

God is the secret of life! Talk to Him, have faith, and accept all that He gives to help you through the highs and lows!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You give to me. Help me to know You and to know Your "secret" to life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Take Time to Hear

1/11/2020

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." -James 1:19-20 (ESV)

It seems that media and social media showcase the reactions that we have to events and to each other. Various platforms allow for the sharing of ideas, but can also be areas that are filled with anger and vitriol. Whether we are posting on social media or replying in person, we need to take time to hear and think before we act!

God has standards. He wants us to live up to these standards and to share His Word with others. However, we cannot be effective in growing God's Kingdom if we continually act or react out of anger. James provides an outline for our actions. He suggests that we be quick to hear. We need to truly listen so we can hear what others are saying. We can then be slow to speak, taking time to think about what we have heard. Finally, James says to be slow to anger so we do not interfere with the love God intends to show. Beginning by taking time to listen and hear can help us respond without anger and with God's love!

Take time to listen and hear so you don't lose sight of acting in God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for always listening. Help me to listen and then to respond with Your love and compassion. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Answer the Call!

1/10/2020

"Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am He." -Isaiah 41:4 (NIV)

There was a time when we were not constantly connected to our phones and incoming calls. Before answering machines, voicemail, and caller ID, we could "miss" calls and never even know they happened! Now, many of us carry cell phones and have other features that allow us to always know when we get a call. Even without our cell phones, there is one call that has been happening since the beginning!

God is calling us! He does not call on a phone, but His "voicemail" is printed on our hearts and minds. We can feel His presence. We can know right from wrong. Since we know God is calling, we need to answer the call! We can accept God's blessings and presence in our lives. We can accept the forgiveness and redemption He provides. After we accept and answer the call, we need to go out and allow others to see and hear the Good News!

Answer God's call for your life by accepting Him and telling others about Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your blessings and calling in my life. Help me to hear and respond to Your call. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

One Call!

1/9/2020

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." -Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

As we rely more on cell phones, there is the risk of running out of battery. Many of my students experience this concern every day as they look for places to plug in and recharge their phones. If your battery starts to die, where would you plug in or who would you call?

Our lives may sometimes feel like our batteries are dying. We feel run down, too busy, or rushing from place to place. As we get wrapped up in our lives and our "batteries" lose their charge, we need to be sure we are not neglecting to make the most important call. We need to be sure we are always calling on and communicating with God. It is through God that we can be recharged and ready to work for His Kingdom!

Call on God and allow Him to recharge you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being there for me and for being ready to recharge my life. Help me to listen to You and to allow You to work in my life. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Not "If"!

1/8/2020

“‘If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for one who believes.'" -Mark 9:23 (NIV)

Potential. We all have potential. It may not be expressed in the same way, but we all have potential. Even though we have potential, there are times we may recognize our limits. Even if we know our limits, we can go beyond our limits with faith. We don't have to stop with "if"!

Jesus calls us to believe. When we believe and trust in His power, we can experience things that go beyond our potential. We shouldn't be discouraged by our limits. We don't need to stop with "If we can." Instead of stopping with "if", we should pray and trust in the power of God and Jesus Christ to overcome earthly limitations. When we have faith and communicate with God, we can say, "Not if, but with God!"

Don't stop with your limitations when you have God's power on your side!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for helping me overcome all of the "if's" in my life. Help me to always trust in You and Your power in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Take Time to Worship!

1/7/2020

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." -Psalm 95:6 (NIV)

In our lives, we may come to the point where we realize we need to slow down. Some people like meditation or yoga or other ways to be mindful. As we consider slowing down and centering our lives, we need to remember to take time to worship!

God is great and deserves our worship and praise. However, worshipping God can also impact our lives. When we take time to worship, to bow down, to pray, and to praise God, we can center our lives on Him. With our lives centered on God, we can find purpose and fulfillment. We can be guided in how to love and live a life for God as long as we take time to worship!

Take time to worship and center your life on God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your role in my life. Help me to keep my life centered on You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.