Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Strong

4/30/2020

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

There are many different types of strength. Depending on the circumstances, we may need to draw on different types of strength. To become stronger, we need the right training. We can begin with spiritual training and the strength we find in Jesus!

To find strength, we need to accept the grace and mercy that only God can provide. We can see this through the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be weak and crucified so that we can join Him in eternal strength. We can train to have spiritual strength by walking with Jesus Christ each and every day. We can be strong in His grace!

Find strength in the grace that is Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus and for the strength provided through grace. Help me to always follow Jesus and to spend eternity with You. Through Him I pray, amen.

Beyond Imagination!

4/29/2020

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." -Psalm 145:3

The internet brings us pictures and stories that defy logic. There are many things that seem unbelievable. Often, when we see or hear these unbelievable things, they are too good or too outrageous to be true! Even though we see and hear many things that are not true, we should not doubt the greatness of God!

We read about events in the Bible that may seem too good to be true. We may even stop to wonder about the perfect Jesus Christ being willing to die for all of our sins. But we are reassured by God's presence and miracles in our lives. Even though God's greatness and power are beyond anything we could imagine, God is to be glorified. He is worthy of all of our highest praise!

All praise to God for His unimaginable greatness and power!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sharing Your power and love with me. All praise and honor to You! In Jesus I pray, amen.

Be Content!

4/28/2020

"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)

There are a lot of messages that tell us what we need or should want. However, as we pause from our normal routines, we may realize we do not need as much to be content. We can survive on less than we may have thought, but we need to keep our faith!

God has promised to provide what we need. While things may not always be as easy as we would like, God is with us. We can trust in God and have faith in Him. Once we commit our lives to God, we can be content. We can be grateful for the food and clothing that we have and we can find contentment in God that is beyond anything we could find in this world!

Be thankful for all you have, keep the faith, and be content in God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all You provide in my life. Help me to be content in You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Homework!

4/27/2020

"Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.'" -John 6:29 (NIV)

There is some debate about the value of homework. While the homework assigned in school may not be as effective as we once thought, we should not ignore the spiritual homework that comes from God. We need to be sure to listen and believe!

We have homework from God, too! There are several different assignments that we have from God. We are to love God. We are to love one another. However, all of these things go back to our most important homework: believing in Jesus and accepting salvation through Him. We need to believe in the one God sent, then we can live a new life in Jesus Christ, surrounded by love and redemption!

Do your homework by believing in Jesus Christ and then living in God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for sending Jesus to earth. Help me to live in Your love and redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Seek, Don't Stray!

4/26/2020

"I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands." -Psalm 119:10 (NIV)

As schools have closed, many teachers and students are experiencing the need to teach and learn from home. While distractions exist in school, trying to work from home holds a whole new set of distractions. However, we have to try our best to stay focused!

In our spiritual journeys, we will find distractions along the way. As our lives change, so do the distractions. Through it all, God is constant. We just need to seek Him with all of our heart, learn from Him, and listen to and follow His commands and calling in our lives. When we seek God and don't stray from His commands, we can avoid the distractions of our journey and live a life fulfilled with His purpose for each of us!

Seek God and don't stray so you can avoid distractions and fully live in Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your loving commands. Help me to always seek You with all my heart and help me to keep Your commands. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Forever Strength!

4/25/2020

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

I enjoy working out, but some days my body just doesn't feel the same. Whether it is soreness or lack of energy, I am reminded that our earthly bodies will not last forever. However, we can find a strength that will last!

Even though our earthly bodies will eventually fail, we can be reassured that God is our strength. With God, we don't have to worry about our flesh and heart failing. When we follow Him and accept salvation through Jesus Christ, we can have eternal strength. Through God, we can experience His promise of eternal life with Him in all of His strength and glory!

Find God and realize His strength in His promise of eternal life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do for me now and for Your eternal promises. Help me to always hold tight to Your promises. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Now Serving!

4/24/2020

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." -Mark 10:45 (NIV)

Recent events have impacted our normal routines. However, even in the midst of these life-changing events, we can see people serving each other. There many different ways in which people have shown support for people at home and work. As we move forward, we need to remember the lessons about serving each other and, in the process, serving God!

Jesus Christ modeled being a servant. He had power, but He humbled Himself. He lived on earth and experienced life. No matter our journey through life, we can look to Jesus as our role model. We can find ways to serve each other and to serve God. As the circumstances in our life change, so do the ways we can serve. However, we should always serve others and serve God!

No matter what is happening around you, find ways to serve others and serve God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Jesus as a role model. Help me to always find ways to serve others and to serve You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Don't Forget!

4/23/2020

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." -Proverbs 3:1-2 (ESV)

Throughout my preparation to become a teacher and during my time as a teacher, I have learned many lessons. Sometimes there is pressure to do things a different way, ways that go against my learning and experiences. During those times, I need to remember the lessons I learned and stick to them to best serve my students. Even if we are not teachers, we have lessons that we need to remember!

God teaches us many things. From giving us His commandments to the examples and parables given to us by Jesus, we can learn from what God provides. We can allow Him to talk to us through prayer. However, we must remember all of these lessons and apply them in our lives. Even when pressures of the world attempt make us forget what we know, we need to rely on God and do what is best based on all that He has taught us!

Don't forget the lessons from God, stand against the negative pressure of the world, and do what is best for God's Kingdom!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You have taught and continue to teach me. Help to remember Your lessons and to stand against the pressures that want me to forget. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Fight On!

4/22/2020

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." -I Timothy 6:12 (ESV)

There are things in life that will challenge us. Close to two years ago I was a volunteer at a nature center and was met with a circumstance that challenged me. While many others wanted to ignore the situation, there are times when we know we cannot ignore what is going on. We have a call to fight on!

When we encounter resistance, we need to be sure that we are aligned with God's plan. We need to be sure we are committed to the confession of our sin and the redemption we have been given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If we are, then we need to fight the good fight and keep the faith! As we fight the good fight, we know that God will be with us each step of the way!

Be sure you are committed to God and then fight the good fight and keep the faith!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the strength and direction that You provide. Help me to keep the faith and fight the good fight with You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

With His Goodness!

4/21/2020

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." -Romans 12:21 (ESV)

The events of the world can wear on us. We may sometimes feel bombarded by everything that happens around us. We may also feel that we do not have control or are overcome by evil. When we feel the world closing in, we need to focus on overcoming evil with good!

God is good and He is powerful. No matter how the world feels to us, we can be reassured by the presence of God. We need to turn to God and accept His all that He has to offer. As we embrace His love and guidance, we can focus not on being swallowed up by the world, but on overcoming evil. With God, we can overcome evil with His goodness, grace, and power!

Trust in God and allow His power and goodness to help you overcome evil!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your power and goodness in my life. Help me to overcome evil with good. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Higher Thoughts!

4/20/2020

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

Sometimes our circumstances can bring us down. We may want to set higher goals, but our vision and thoughts get dragged down. How can we overcome these times? We need to turn our eyes and thoughts on high!

Our thoughts and actions can only go so far on their own. The scope of what we can see is limited. We fall victim to the temptations and circumstances of this world. To overcome all that brings us down, we need to turn to God and trust in Him. He knows all and can direct us. He can help us to have higher thoughts and to guide our actions so we are lifted and not brought down, then we can share these thoughts with others!

Turn to God so He can guide your thoughts and actions to give you a higher calling!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love, power, and presence. Help me to keep my eyes on You and to hear Your higher calling for my life. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Forgive & Forgiveness

4/19/2020

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." -Mark 11:25 (ESV)

Some people talk about karma or what goes around comes around. We can let this thinking apply to both good and bad we see around us, but we may be better served by thinking about forgiveness. If we want forgiveness, we need to forgive!

When we make a mistake, we want to be forgiven. God has provided us a path to forgiveness through His Son. However, Jesus reminds us that we also need to be forgiving. All of our sin has been forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus. We are redeemed and need to live in a way that shows our forgiveness by forgiving others!

You are forgiven! Follow the example and forgive others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your forgiveness. Help me to live redeemed and forgiving of others. In Jesus I pray, amen.

No Lie, God is Great!

4/18/2020

"For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods." -Psalm 135:5 (ESV)

I recently read that the average person hears between 10 and 200 lies each day. In everything that we see, hear, and read, we are exposed to many facts or interpretations of facts, but we are also presented with lies. We need to be able to figure out what is true!

One thing that we can know for sure is that our God is great! No matter what else we hear, we can believe that our God is Lord and above all other gods. He is love. He gives us strength. He saves us from our sin. He will see us through this life and welcome us into eternity with Him. We know our Lord is great and above all others. All praise to Him!

The Lord, our God, is great and worthy of all praise!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being my God and for sharing Your love, power, and saving grace. All praise, honor, and glory to You! In Jesus I pray, amen.

Who's Your Builder?

4/17/2020

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." -Hebrews 3:4 (NIV)

I have a friend that I got to work with when we both volunteered at a nature center. He was a builder and I was able to learn and assist him as we talked about our vision and then made it a reality to enhance the displays at the nature center. As we worked together, we knew there was a shared vision and trust that we would do what we could to reach that vision. Fortunately, we have a builder that can help us with the journeys of our lives!

God has created everything. He has created all that is around us and He has created each of us! As the Creator, He is the builder of our lives. We are fortunate that God is always with us and ready to help us. We need to share a vision with God. He has a path for our lives, we need to listen to Him. We also need to trust in God. He wants what is best for us. With a shared vision and trust in God, He can continue to help us build our lives!

Trust in God's vision for your life and allow Him to be your builder!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for continuing to be a builder in my life. Help me to know and trust Your vision for my journey. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Take Time to Rest!

4/16/2020

"There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord." -Leviticus 23:3 (NIV)

During normal times, we may be rushing from one place to another as we run errands and accomplish tasks. However, working from home may also result in its own types of stress. Whether we are running errands or "quarantined" and working from home, we need to be sure we are not going 24/7. We need to take time to rest!

God created us and He knows that we need time to rest. We cannot continuously be on the go or always connected to our jobs. We also need to recognize that it is beneficial to disconnect from the demands of the world. We need to take time to be in the presence of God. We can and should make quiet time for God each day. We can also set aside a day to not only honor God but to spend time finding rest in Him!

Take time to rest and to connect with God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being there for me, even when I am busy. Help me to take time to rest and to connect with You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Wise on the Rock!

4/15/2020

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." -Matthew 7:24 (NIV)

Whether we are talking to friends, surfing social media, or listening to TV or the radio, we hear lots of different words. There are many that want to give advice. If we try to follow everything we hear, our heads may start spinning! Fortunately, we know where to turn for wisdom!

God has given us His Word and the examples of those that came before us to help us learn. Through studying the Bible and talking to God through prayer, we can know God's words and His advice and direction for our lives. When we choose to follow His advice, we can stand on our Rock, our God. We know who to listen to, now we need to listen and build our lives on the Rock!

Be wise. Listen to God. Build your life on the Rock!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank you for being my Rock. Help me to always listen to You and to build my life on Your wisdom. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Doesn't Have to Be in Person!

4/14/2020

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” -Matthew 18:20 (NIV)

During the recommended stay-at-home orders, many of us have not been to a physical gathering with other people outside of those we live with. Some of us may be living alone. Even though we cannot physically gather, we can still be together in Jesus' name!

We live in a time when there are a variety of ways to connect. We can connect through a phone call, but we can also connect through video, technology, and other forms of social media. Most importantly, we can spiritually gather and connect through the Lord's name. We can still pray together. We can worship together. We can praise together. No matter the conditions around us, we can gather in the Lord's name and find comfort in His presence!

We can gather together in the Lord's name and find comfort as we experience His presence!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me. Help me to gather with others in Your name and allow us to experience Your presence. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Waiting

4/13/2020

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." -Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Many of us have been reminded of what it means to wait. While we want to do our "normal" activities, we have had to change our routines and reconfigure the way we go about our lives. While we wait to return to "normal", we can take time to renew our focus to wait for the Lord!

God has called us to serve His Kingdom. We can take the time He has given us to learn, to listen, and to wait for Him in our lives. We can pause from hectic schedules and find quiet time to focus our hearts and minds on Him, to wait on Him, and then to follow His call. We can move forward with God, waiting on and following Him, now and for eternity!

Take time to listen to and wait on God, then follow Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for speaking to me and leading me. Help me to listen to, wait for, and follow You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

He Is Risen So We Can Rise!

4/12/2020

"For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him." -I Thessalonians 4:14 (NIV)

Celebrations of Easter may have been different this year. We may have had smaller gatherings than normal. We may have had to watch Easter services streamed online or shown on television. No matter how we may have celebrated, the important focus is that He is risen so that we can have new life and rise, too!

We can believe in God and in His promises. We know that Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to live on earth and experience our brokenness. We have likely spent time reflecting on the end of Jesus' earthly life as He was betrayed, beaten, and crucified. Now is the time to praise the power and glory of God demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is risen. By accepting Him, we can be made new. We can rise and have eternal life with God through Jesus Christ!

Believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and rise with Him to eternal life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
All praise to You! Thank You for forgiving and redeeming me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In His name I pray, amen.

Good News! No Lie!

4/11/2020

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

As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we know the good news that God has given us. Jesus Christ, our Savior, may have died on Good Friday, but He rose again! When we tell others the good news, they may not always believe us. However, we can share the resurrection and saving grace of our Lord without telling lies!

Jesus died for our sins and God raised Him from the dead. Through this sacrifice, God demonstrates His power, love, grace, and mercy for each and every one of us. We should not keep this a secret. The good news is not a lie and God's grace and mercy cover all of us. We need to use our lips to spread it!

God's good news is true and waiting for us to share it!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for redemption through Him. Help me to spread Your truth. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Worst & Best

4/10/2020

"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'" -Psalm 16:2 (NIV)

Charles Dickens started A Tale of Two Cities with the line, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." As we meditate on Good Friday, we may feel that in some ways this day represents the worst of times and the best of times. Good Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified, but it is also the day that begins our path to redemption!

Through the events of Holy Week, we are reminded of the joys, struggles, and heartbreak surrounding Jesus and His followers. From a joyful entry to an excruciating end, the week brought Jesus and His followers a range of emotions. However, even in the midst of the worst of times, Jesus promised a joyous end. As we mourn the death of our Savior, we also rejoice in His sacrifice that allows us to spend eternity with Him. Through the worst and best of times, it is through our Lord that we have all good things. It is through Jesus Christ that we have forgiveness and redemption!

Through the worst of times and best of times, remember Good Friday and all the good things provided by the Lord!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Jesus and for His sacrifice. All praise to You for all good things in my life. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Celebrate Without Fear!

4/9/2020

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

We face many different responsibilities and demands in life. As we approach holidays, we may feel even more demands to prepare for gatherings. As we prepare for Easter this year, many people are not caught up in planning gatherings for family and friends, but the disruption to routines may bring other anxieties. No matter what we are facing, we should not fear!

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter, we need to remember the reason for our celebrations. It is because of Jesus that we can live without fear. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior, provides our path to redemption and to overcome sin. With Jesus, we can live with strength and purpose. We can live without fear as we live for God now with promises of eternity!

Accept Jesus and live with purpose and without fear!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for my redemption through Him. Help me to live with purpose and without fear. In Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Where You Are!

4/8/2020

"This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." -John 15:8 (NIV)

There is a quote that says, "Bloom where you are planted." We have probably all experienced times when we are not where we may want to be. Whether it is because of our choices or the circumstances of life around us, we should not give up. God can help us bloom no matter what!

When we commit to following God, we do not have to go it alone! God is with us. No matter where we are, He can help us bloom. As we do what we can to follow God, we can be reassured that God will help us to bear fruit for Him. With God, we can bloom and bear fruit as we are His witnesses here on earth!

Allow God to help you bloom, no matter where you are!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for guiding me and helping me to bloom, no matter where I am. Help me to always trust in You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

What to Do with Our Time?

4/7/2020

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." -I Timothy 6:11 (NIV)

Many people have been forced to stay home. While this may mean extra work for some adjusting to working from home, it may also mean there is "extra" that is no longer consumed by commutes and other errands. What should we do with our time?

As followers of God waiting on Easter, we are reminded that we should be trying to live like our Savior. We have been redeemed. We have been given a new life and with this life we should pursue all that is good. We can take our time and use it to learn about and from God. We can find ways to apply these lessons in our lives at home and we can plan how we will continue to pursue His righteousness and put it into action beyond our homes. What should we do with our time? We should flee from the evil and follow the righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Commit to following God and Jesus and pursue all of His goodness!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me and for giving me support and examples of righteousness in my life. Help me to always take the time to follow You and to apply Your lessons to my life. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Always the Easy Way!

4/6/2020

"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out." -Proverbs 10:9 (NIV)

Sometimes we just want the easy way to the end result. We may acknowledge that we could learn through the process, but we just want the reward or the pay-off. To get to the end, we need to be sure that we move toward our goals with integrity!

God prepares a path for us. If we follow God, we are sure that His path will be one of integrity. By talking to God and studying His Word, we can be sure that our foundations are built on integrity and love. With God, our paths may not always be easy, but we can walk with integrity and know that He will help us securely reach an eternal reward!

The path may not always be easy, but with God, we can walk with integrity and His security!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love, integrity, and guidance. Help me to walk with integrity and love to reach an eternal reward with You. In Jesus I pray, amen.