Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Picking a Door

7/31/2017

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture." -John 10:9 (NIV)

During the summers, my daughter and I are home from school. On rainy days we like watching "Let's Make a Deal!" We try to guess which door or box holds the best deal and which ones do not. While it may be a fun game to play for prizes, our lives and our eternity should not be risked to chance or a lucky guess!

When we are choosing the path to follow in our lives, we don't have to guess which door or gate will lead to salvation and eternal joy. We know that Jesus Christ came to earth as the ultimate sacrifice to save us from our sin. He is the path or the doorway to life in God's presence. Jesus is calling us to be saved through Him and to enter the gates to find joy in God. Jesus is the door that leads to a full life, a deal that is guaranteed by God for eternity!

Don't take chances choosing other doors, go through Jesus to find eternal joy and glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus to open the door to Heaven. Help me to always choose Jesus and to follow Your will. Through Him I pray, amen.

More Than Fear!

7/30/2017

"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)

There are things in all of our lives that cause us to fear or worry. We may fear losing something or someone. We may fear uncertainty or the unknown. In each of these circumstances we can allow fear and worry to creep into our lives, which can cause us to be afraid and weak. However, we don't have to let fear and worry drive our lives!

It can be easy to talk about having courage, being strong, and overcoming fear, but often it is difficult to actually practice. We may find it difficult to overcome fear and worry because we are trying to find solutions on our own. When we consider the things that terrify us, that make us be afraid or become weak, we need to step back and realize we cannot and do not have to overcome them alone. God is there for us. He goes before us and with us each step of our lives. When we call on Him, we can have faith that He will help us overcome whatever is causing our fear. God is more than our fears, we just have to call on and trust in Him!

When feeling fear or weakness, stop and realize that God is more than any fear!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being by my side. Help me to always call on and trust in You so that my fears disappear in Your presence. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Learn and Praise!

7/29/2017

"I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws." -Psalm 119:7 (NIV)

It can be a joy to learn new things. Learning new things can open up new opportunities and experiences. These experiences can allow us to see the world in new ways or to see new parts of the world! As we learn, we can be grateful for all of these lessons, opportunities, and experiences!

God provides us with many ways to learn. We can talk to Him through prayer and learn from His responses. We can also read His Word and learn from the words and examples that He gives us. Fellowship with other believers and listening to leaders called by God can also give us perspective and help us to learn about God and His laws. As we learn from God, we can be filled with joy and praise. Knowing God can bring us closer to Him and help us to experience His glory now and forever!

Learn from God and be filled with praise because of His glory and majesty!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for teaching me and for the joy that it brings. Help me to continue to learn and grow in You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Focus!

7/28/2017

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." -Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

As my daughter gets older, she is learning how to focus on a project, whether it is building something, reading, or completing homework. It reminds me that even though we may be older, we need to be aware of our focus. There are a lot of distractions around us, but we need to be sure we are focused...on the right things!

Society may pull on us, trying to get us to focus on gaining human approval. We may be reminded that our looks, thoughts, and actions should conform to certain ways deemed acceptable by society. However, we are reminded in the Bible that we are called to a higher purpose. We do have to live and interact in society, but our focus should be on what is pleasing to God. If we choose to focus on people and not God, we lose sight of our calling to serve God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We need to be sure that as we grow in our faith, we learn to become increasingly focused on God and being a servant of Him!

Learn to maintain your focus on God and work to serve Him and His Kingdom!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word and the lessons that it teaches. Help me to always be focused on You, Your will in my life, and how my thoughts and actions can be directed for Your glory. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Trouble Isn't the End!

7/27/2017

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33 (NIV)

We all face troubles in our lives. Our troubles may be large or small. As we face our troubles, our attitudes can determine the outcome. We may be overcome by troubles or we can overcome our troubles. As we think about the challenges in our lives, one thing to remember is that all of our earthly troubles are only temporary!

Once we realize that the things of earth, including our challenges and troubles, are temporary, we can face them. We can turn to God and Jesus and allow Them to help us. We have Jesus, our Savior, that has overcome the world. He has conquered challenges, including death, and He has provided a path for us to overcome the sin in our lives. With faith in Jesus and acceptance of His salvation, we can take heart and have peace because He is helping us overcome our earthly troubles for an eternity in glory!

Troubles aren't the end as long as you have faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus to overcome the challenges and troubles of the world. Help me to allow Him to guide me through the challenges of this world as I prepare for eternity with You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Pure and Steadfast!

7/26/2017

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

Purity is a quality that is often sought after in our lives. We see advertisements for the purest water or the purest ingredients in our food. The clarity and color of a diamond can reveal its purity. Value is found in stores of pure gold and pure silver. While all of these things have value in their purity here and now, their value will not last forever!

The real value of purity comes from our redemption and purification. While we cannot purify our hearts on our own, we can look to God and ask Him to purify our hearts. We can have redemption through Jesus Christ. God and Jesus can help us renew our spirits and anchor them in both God, the Father, and Jesus, His Son. With God as our foundation, we can be reassured that we can face a changing world with a steadfast spirit. We can find the purity that we are searching for and we know that it will lead to eternity!

Anchor your spirit in God and allow Him to purify your heart!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your willingness to provide salvation and to purify my heart. Help me to always turn my heart to You for purification and direction. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Have Peace

7/25/2017

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." -Romans 5:1 (NIV)

A lot of people engage in trying to justify themselves in their quest for peace. We may get caught up in trying to justify our position at work, our contributions to charity, or even our value within our families. While we want to feel worthwhile and know peace, we need to realize that we cannot justify ourselves.

We cannot find justification or peace in ourselves. To know true peace, we need to be justified through our faith in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. When we have found salvation through His sacrifice, we can have a peace in our lives that we cannot find anywhere else. We are justified, we are worthwhile, in the sight of God through Jesus, His Son. We don't have to try to convince others of our worth in order to have peace, we just need to turn our lives over to God!

Be justified and have peace by accepting salvation through Jesus Christ!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus to provide me salvation. Help me to always look to You to find worth and peace. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Unfolding Understanding

7/24/2017

"The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." -Psalm 119:130 (NIV)

I have been told to "not make things more difficult than they need to be." Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we think we are doing what needs to be done, but we create more work for ourselves. During these times, we need to take a step back to gain an understanding of the situation and the next steps.

As we approach life, both our daily routines and our spiritual journeys, we will encounter times that challenge us. If we try to overcome these situations on our own, we may end up making things more difficult than they need to be. Instead of relying on ourselves, we need to take a step back and call on God. God can help us gain insight and understanding. His Word and the direction we receive through prayer can give us understanding. He can simplify the challenges we face and unfold an understanding in our lives!

When presented with challenges, call on God and allow Him to provide understanding!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the guidance that You provide for me. Help me to always step back and call on You for understanding. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Willing to Give

7/23/2017

"For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have." -II Corinthians 8:12 (NIV)

When we look around us, we see many different people. If we stop and take time to observe, we can see that each person has unique talents, abilities, or styles. Each person has different gifts to give. As we consider our gifts, we shouldn't compare our gifts to the gifts of others.

We each have acceptable gifts to give to God. God is not looking for the same offerings from each of us. He is not looking for us to give more than what we have or something different from what we have. God has blessed each of us and we should all approach our giving in the same way. As we consider the blessings and gifts we have been given and our offerings back to God, we should focus on our attitude toward our offerings. We need to approach our giving with a willing heart. Through our willingness we can show our love for God and fulfill our unique and individual roles in His Kingdom!

Search your heart and give back to God with a willing heart!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the blessings in my life. Help me to always approach giving with a willing heart. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Be Free Indeed!

7/22/2017

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." -John 8:36 (NIV)

There are many things that can hold us back from accomplishing our goals. However, even if we don't want to admit it, a lot of these things are within our control or are determined by how we approach our goals. We can allow the circumstances around us to impede our progress or we can choose to approach things in a different way so we can be free to meet or exceed our goals!

Freedom in our lives goes beyond the laws of a country or place. Our freedom in this world and beyond comes from God. We can allow ourselves to be bound by sin. We can allow sin to limit our abilities and keep us from meeting our goals. Even though we cannot avoid sin, we do not have to choose to live a life ruled by it. To find freedom, we can turn to God and Jesus. God presented Jesus as a path to redemption and freedom. By putting our faith and trust in Jesus, asking for forgiveness through His sacrifice, we can be set free from sin and be free to pursue our goals according to God's plan for each of us!

Don't live life bound by sin, but turn to Jesus and be set free indeed!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and the freedom that comes through Your Son. Help me to embrace this freedom and pursue the goals that are part of Your plan for my life. Through Jesus, my Redeemer, I pray, amen.

Step One

7/21/2017

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." -Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV)

My to do list seems to continually grow. Kind of like one step forward two steps back, it seems that as I cross one thing off, two more get added. As our to do lists grow, sometimes parts of our routine can be forgotten or we can go through the motions without consciously thinking about what we are doing. While some things we can do without much thought, there are important things that require our mindful attention!

As we prepare for our days, we should focus on God and His presence in our lives.We can begin by talking to Him through prayer. Taking time to talk to God should be a mindful action that is more than a task on our to do list. Time with God builds our relationship with Him. Through this relationship, we can get our days off to a good start by acknowledging God's place in the universe, the world, and our lives, giving Him all glory and praise. By inviting God into our lives each day can help us face all our tasks and help us focus on moving forward in His will!

Step one each day should be acknowledging God's place in your life and building your relationship with Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being part of my life. Help me to never take You for granted and to always begin each day by spending time with You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

What's the Point?

7/20/2017

"For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." -Romans 11:36 (NIV)

Whether teaching or parenting, many questions begin with "Why?" Students want to know why we have to learn certain things or behave certain ways. There are why questions about how the world works. As we think about our own lives, we, too, may have questions that begin with "Why?" as we search for purpose.

When we search for purpose or ask "Why?", we can begin by turning to God. God is our source of love, hope, and purpose. We can approach God through prayer. We can ask Him to fill us with His purposes for our lives, then we need to listen to and follow His will in our lives. When we are listening to God, we can trust that we don't need to ask, "What's the point?" When we understand that the purpose comes from God, through Him, and for Him, we know that the point is for His glory and the benefit of all of His children!

All things come from and through God. The point is that we should act in faith and love for Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the purpose and direction You provide in my life. Help me to hear Your will and to follow it in my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Ultimate Understanding!

7/19/2017

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." -Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)

There is an old saying that we cannot truly understand someone until we have "walked a mile in their shoes." We can be sympathetic and we can try to have empathy, but we do not know everything that is going on in the lives of others. As we look for understanding, we can be reassured that God knows us - just look at Jesus!

Jesus Christ came to earth as a human. He experienced living in an earthly body. He has experienced temptation. He came face to face with Satan. Even as the world changes, Jesus knows the difficulties we face because He has walked in "our shoes." What is even better is that even though He has lived on earth and walked in our shoes, He has not sinned. We have in Jesus not only the ultimate understanding of the difficulties we face, but a path to redemption that can help us overcome the challenges we face and the consequences of death!

Have faith and be reassured that Jesus Christ knows what you face and can help you overcome it!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to live on earth and to die as a sacrifice for my sin. Please forgive me for my sin and guide me as I strive to follow Your will. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Hold On Tight!

7/18/2017

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." -Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

As my daughter gets older, she is getting more independent. Even though she is growing up, I still remind her to hold my hand in parking lots, crossing the street, or in other public places. Even though she will continue to develop her independence, I still need to know that she is safe.

No matter how old we are or how independent we think we may be, we always need to be sure we are holding God's "hand." We can hold onto God's hand by holding His Word in our hearts. We can hold onto His promises. We can have hope in our faith in God and His grace, mercy, and power. We may think we are becoming more independent, but we always need God, our Father, looking our for us and we need to be sure we are holding onto Him - through life's highs, lows, and in-betweens!

Hold onto the hope that God provides, no matter how independent you feel!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being by my side. Help me to continue holding onto You and the promises that are the cornerstone of my faith. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Need to Move?

7/17/2017

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." -James 4:8 (ESV)

We experience many different things throughout our lives. Our journeys take different twists and turns. Sometimes we may feel that we are missing the support that we need, even support from God. When we begin to feel that we are missing God, we should consider the need to move!

God is steadfast and true. He is always Holy and full of love for each and every one of us. As we travel life's journey and encounter times that we need support, we can know that God is there for us. He doesn't move away from us, but we can move or drift away from Him. We should always focus on making God a part of our lives and when we feel that He is becoming distant, we need to move! We need to call on Him, move closer to Him, ask for His forgiveness and redemption, so we can be purified and brought closer in our relationship with God!

When you feel God becoming distant, be prepared to move closer to Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being there for me. Help me to always seek You and move closer to You and Your will in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

A Little Certainty

7/16/2017

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." -Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

With each passing day, time seems to be going faster and faster. The world is changing around me and I sometimes feel like I am falling farther and farther behind. Even though time seems to rush by and things continue to change, we can be reassured that we can be anchored to the unchanging Rock!

Even in a world that seems to be ruled by uncertainty and changing society, we can find consistency and certainty in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save us from our sin. He has provided a path for us that does not change. Jesus is and always will be the same and our path to salvation runs, unchanging, through Him. When we begin to feel overwhelmed with the rush of time or uncertainty of the world around us, we can stop and be reassured that our God and Savior are always a certainty!

Things change, but you can find certainty in God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, His Son!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your certain love, compassion, and salvation. Help me to know that You are unchanging and always with me. Through Jesus Christ, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Meeting Expectations?

7/15/2017

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." -Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

Some situations can seem to be overwhelming. We may have expectations of ourselves or we may have expectations of others. As we try to meet expectations, we may become tired and weak. Even when things seem overwhelming, we don't have to give up!

When we are experiencing times when we feel weak, overpowered, or tired, we can renew our strength by calling on God. God is our source of strength. If we call on and trust in God, He can lead us and help us to overcome the challenges we are facing, to meet (and even exceed) all expectations, and to be content. Through God, we can have increased power and strength!

Meet and exceed expectations by calling on and trusting in God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the power and strength You have given me. Help me to always call and rely on You to overcome challenges and meet expectations. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Making Invisible Visible!

7/14/2017

"For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." -Romans 1:20 (NIV)

As I have studied and learned about research, one goal of research is making "invisible" things "visible" or understandable. We try to figure things out about parts of the world that we cannot see. Some things may be too small to be easily seen. Other things, like the processes in our brain that help us learn, may not be physical pieces to observe. Even though some things are hard to see, we search for evidence!

God is invisible. Even though we cannot see God, we can know that He exists, as long as we take the time to look and understand the signs that He has given us. We can learn about Him through His creation. We learn about Him through His Word. As we look at the world, interact with others, and read or listen to God's Word, we can see His power, His divine nature, and His guidance for our lives. We do not have an excuse for doubting God and His nature as long as we take the time to seek Him and allow Him to make the invisible visible!

Seek God and allow Him to show you His power and divine nature as He makes the invisible visible!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the ways that You show me Your presence and true nature. Help me to always seek You and see Your signs around me. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Good Teacher!

7/13/2017

"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in His ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way." -Psalm 25:8-9 (NIV)

I can recall my teachers from kindergarten through graduation. Each teacher influenced me in some way. The majority of my teachers inspired me to continue to learn and grow. As I reflect on my education, I am thankful for all of the teachers that had a positive influence on my learning and I realize that there is one teacher that continues to teach and guide me.

The impact of teachers, both positive and negative, can be long lasting. However, the influences of our earthly teachers may fade. In the midst of the world, of living our lives in society, we need a teacher that can guide us. God is that teacher. He is trustworthy, constant, and true. We can be reassured by His teachings and guidance. We can be humble and follow God, knowing that He is the Good Teacher that can help us through anything we face in life!

Find life's lessons in the Good Teacher, God, and then apply His lessons to your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the teachers that have guided my learning and development. Help me to continue to focus on Your lessons and direction in my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Guilty Pleasures?

7/12/2017

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you." -James 1:21 (NIV)

There are many things in life that we may consider "guilty pleasures." While some things may seem like fun or inconsequential, we need to consider the extent to which these things invade our lives. We don't want to allow seemingly small things build into evil that overtakes our lives!

When we look at the world, we may see deterioration of morality and we may see signs of evil. We need to rid ourselves of evil. We need to brace against the loss of morals. To be strong, we need to be sure we are in God's Word. Through God's Word, we can learn from His promises and examples of those that have come before us. We can learn God's law and be strengthened to stand in it. We can know His love and forgiveness. We can be redeemed and move beyond guilty pleasures and into His glory!

Don't allow guilty pleasures to erode your morals. Turn to God and enter into His glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the forgiveness and redemption that You provide for me. Help me to avoid moral filth and evil and to live in Your glory. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Head in the Clouds?

7/11/2017

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." -Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

We often find ourselves worrying about things. We deal with a lot in our daily routines and sometimes there are things that weigh on our minds. We become so caught up in our worry and concern that we lose track of where our focus should be. Instead of focusing on earthly things, we should continually look to God!

While we have to take care of things on earth, we cannot let what is happening around us distract us from our relationships with God. When we stay focused on God, we know that He will help us. We need to be willing to let go and to keep our eyes on God. We can have our head in the clouds, a Heavenly mindset, that allows us to follow God no matter what is happening here on earth!

Keep your eyes focused on God and overcome earthly things!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me. Help me to always keep my eyes on You so I can overcome earthly things and be in Your glory for all of eternity. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Times a-Changin'!

7/10/2017

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." -Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Bob Dylan sang, "The times, they are a-changin'." It is true that times change. Throughout our lives, we see and experience many things. We may wish for the "good old days", we may look forward to new adventures, or we may want things to stay just as they are right now. Regardless of what we want, we know that change and the passage of time is inevitable.

Whether we want things to change or not, we can be assured that everything that happens is for God's purpose. Just as the seasons change, we can know that the changes in our lives are part of God's plan. To sustain us through each and every change, we need to pray for His guidance and direction through the changes that are coming. By striving to follow God, we can follow changes and use them to bring glory to His Kingdom!

Times are changing and you need to turn to God for direction!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your guidance through all changes that we may face. Please continue to guide me through any changes that may come so that You can receive glory and praise. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Make a Choice!

7/9/2017

"I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws." -Psalm 119:30 (NIV)

My daughter sometimes faces the same difficulty I had when I was younger: making choices. Any decision, from what to eat, what to wear, or deciding on a toy, can take a while and sometimes even result in tears. Throughout life, we will face difficult choices or decisions, but one choice should be easy!

When we consider how we live and our time beyond this life, we can be assured that the only choice in eternity is to follow God and His path for our life. We can have faith that God is with us, guiding us, and strengthening us. We can set ourselves on the path to eternal glory with God by through faith in Him and focusing on His direction for our lives here on earth. While following God through the world may not be the easiest path to follow, it is the best choice for our each and every one of us!

Make a choice to follow God by having faith in Him and focusing on His direction!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for giving us a choice to follow You. Help me to continue to grow my faith in You and improve my focus on Your direction for my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

On Guard!

7/8/2017

"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'" -Luke 12:15 (NIV)

We are told that we need to want more and more. Advertising continues to learn how to convince us that we need new things or that what we do have isn't good enough. It can be easy to fall into these traps and it can be difficult teaching our children that having more isn't what is best!

We are warned that greed is damaging. Wanting more material things can stand in the way of our relationship with God and with each other. Accumulating a bunch of "stuff" is not the meaning or purpose of life. While it can be nice to have new things, we should not make material things and the accumulation of stuff the goal of our lives. We need to be on guard against greed while looking for ways to give of our time and talents to serve God!

Be on guard against greed and ready to give in service to others in the name of God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You have given me. Help me to avoid want and greed and instead focus on ways that I can serve You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Re-energized and Soaring!

7/7/2017

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Life can make us tired. From our day to day routines to the unexpected excitements and challenges, we sometimes just need to take a break. Our bodies and minds have ways of telling us that we are getting tired, weak, and faint. While we know that we need to rest and care for our bodies, we also need to take care of our souls!

We can care for our souls by maintaining our relationship with and hope in God. His Word guides us through His promises and the examples of others. We can have hope knowing that God is on our side. We can get strength when we stop and put our faith and trust in Him. Our souls can be renewed. Our purpose can be made clear. We can have an energy that will allow us to thrive as we serve God!

Have faith and hope in God so your soul can be energized for Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word and the promises, guidance, and wisdom revealed through it. Help me to always have faith and hope in You that provides strength and energy. Through Jesus I pray, amen.