Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

With Love!

7/31/2018

"Do everything in love." -I Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)

Sometimes we are unsure of how to love each other. We know that we need to consider God's call to love one another, but it is not always easy. Mr. Rogers reminded us that, "Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."

God wants us to love each other, but He also knows that we will, at times, struggle with this call. To help us, God shows us His perfect love through the gift of His Son. God accepted us as we were, where we were. He didn't require us to become perfect before loving us. As we set out to love one another, we have to be prepared to begin loving each other as we are now so we can then help each other become better people. With God, we have an example and a guide to show us how to do everything with love!

Look to God, then work to do everything in the love He gives!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for showing me Your love. Help me to base my actions on this love so that it is reflected in all I do. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Lost? Don't Fear!

7/30/2018

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." -Luke 19:10 (NIV)

It would be nice if we always knew where we were going, but that isn't the case. Sometimes we get into situations where we cannot see the outcome. We may be physically lost or we may be emotionally or spiritually lost. When we encounter those times, it is nice to know where to turn for direction!

Even when we think we know where we are going, we need to check our direction to be sure we are on the right path. There are times when we are "lost." We sin and turn from God's path. God knew that we would get lost, so He provided His Son to seek and save us. Jesus is looking for each and every one of us to bring us into a personal relationship with God! When we get lost, we shouldn't fear. We just need to look to Jesus Christ!

When you get lost, look for Jesus because He is looking to save you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Your Son to seek and save me. Help me to share Him with others. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

From Anxiety to Joy!

7/29/2018

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

My daughter recently spent a couple of weeks away from home. It was different not having her around the house and her absence was especially noticed by our dog. He was anxious not having all of his family nearby and sought consolation from us until the family was reunited. There are many reasons that may cause us anxiety, but turning to or reuniting with God can help calm our souls!

When we feel anxious, we need to consider our relationship with God. God can bring us joy, but we have to be willing to call on Him and to allow Him into our lives. If we are moving away from God, He will not force us to move toward Him. However, our anxiety may remind us that we need to keep our eyes on Him. Once we look to God, then we can allow His love and joy to fill our hearts. We can allow God to take our hand and lead us through those anxious times!

Call on God and hold His hand as He leads you away from anxiety and toward His joy!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and for Your patience. Help me to hold on to You and to allow You to lead me through any anxious times. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Preparation!

7/28/2018

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." -Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

Summer often brings opportunities for vacations. As we prepare for vacations, we try to remember everything that we think we will need for our time away from home. Whether we make lists and check them twice or use another system, we probably track our preparations. When we prepare for our spiritual journeys, we should also prepare!

God gives us His armor as we prepare for the challenges we may face along the way. We also have a "checklist" in Ephesians to remind us of the armor that He provides. However, it is up to us to put on His armor, to use these resources along our journey. God gives us what we need to be prepared. It is up to us to use what He has given us!

Follow God's directions for preparation and put on His armor!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for giving me what I need. Help me to always listen to You so I am prepared for my journey. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

A Great Help(er)!

7/27/2018

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." -Psalm 124:8 (NIV)

My daughter has always liked to help and as she gets older, she is able to do more things. It is nice that she has a willingness to learn and is often ready to lend a helping hand. In our lives, we often need help. When we face the biggest moments of our lives, it is nice to know that God is there to help!

We can always call on God to help us in our lives. No matter how large or small we think the task may be, God is ready, willing, and able to help. What more could we need than the Creator of everything? We should not doubt His ability to help us and we should be prepared to listen and accept His help!

God is a great helper, so be willing to accept His help!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being ready to help me. Allow me to hear You and to accept Your help. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Give Good!

7/26/2018

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." -Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)

I have been doing a lot of reading this summer about equity and how to make the classroom a place where all students have the opportunity to succeed. Consideration of opportunity and access or lack of opportunity and access can impact how students act and react. As teachers or as individuals interacting with others, we need to consider our responses and how we respond.

When we consider our responses, we need to move beyond what might be our earthly biases to consider how God sees each and every one of us. We are part of God's creation, which He called "good." Even though sin entered the world, we can be redeemed from sin through God's grace and mercy, we can still be "good" through His Son! Our actions should reflect this goodness and we should try to treat others with goodness. We should not withhold good and we should advocate for the justice and equity that aligns with God's goodness. We should do good, give good, and fight for good for everyone!

Give goodness as God loves you and cares for you and all of His creation!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being good and for being gracious and merciful. Help me to follow You in spreading goodness through Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Patience & Peace

7/25/2018

"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city." -Proverbs 16:32 (NIV)

As technology continues to progress, it seems that we have less patience. When we say, "I wonder if...," we can usually find an almost instantaneous answer. We can look up information in the palm of our hand using only our voice! While this access to information allows us to "know" things, we sometimes lose sight of the value of patience!

Even though we can find many answers in a short period of time, it takes more to understand and apply our knowledge. Patience allows us to use what we have learned, but it also allows us to interact with each other. Without being patient with each other, we end up with frustration and conflict. Instead of taking on a "warrior" attitude, we can strive for patience and self-control. With God's help, we can learn to use these qualities to live in peace with His love!

Learn patience and self-control to help you live in peace through God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being patient with me. Help me to learn patience and to always strive for peace through Your love. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Overcome!

7/24/2018

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." -Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

There are challenges that we encounter in our lives. My daughter reminded me of this as she continues to work to learn to ride her bicycle. Over time and with practice, she will overcome her fear of falling on her bike and improve in riding it. As we face other challenges, we need to remember that we also have support from God!

When we call on God, He promises to respond. God hears us and He can help us overcome our challenges. We need to listen to God and accept the help that He provides. Sometimes God may speak to us through prayer as we talk to Him. God may present answers through His Word. God can also answer us through the people and resources He places in our lives. As we call on God, we can also ask Him to prepare our hearts and minds to embrace the roads to deliverance that He provides!

Call on God, then overcome challenges by accepting the help that He provides!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being near to me. Please prepare my heart and mind to accept the help that You provide in my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Keep Moving Forward!

7/23/2018

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

When we stop and reflect on the events around us, we will likely see examples of injustice. As humans, we all sin. Even in our attempts to do things the right way, we may fail and harm others in the process. These times when we fail may make us feel weary, but we need to find strength to keep moving forward!

We can be encouraged by the presence of God in our lives. He is all-powerful and can provide us with strength to move forward. When we feel weak or vulnerable, we need to call on Him. We can then draw on His support to move forward in fighting injustice in the world and to spread God's love. By following God's righteous way, we can keep moving forward and building justice and love in our communities!

Follow God and call on Him for strength to overcome weakness!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your willingness to provide strength. Help me to follow Your righteous ways and to build justice and spread love. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Can't Hide!

7/22/2018

"Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." -Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

My daughter has learned a new game. While waiting on food to arrive at the table, one person removes an item from the table and others try to guess what is different. The game is to see how quickly one can identify the hidden item!

In our lives, we may think that we can just "hide" our sin. We may feel that good works may account for or cover up the wrong that we have done. However, we cannot hide our sin. God knows all that we do and eventually our sinful words, thoughts, or actions will be found out. Instead of trying to hide our sin, we need to acknowledge that we are human and that we sin. When we sin, we should be quick to confess our sin to God and ask for His forgiveness. When we do this, we can receive God's mercy and be redeemed!

You can't hide your sin, so confess it to God and receive His forgiveness!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for forgiving my sin. Help me to always turn to You to confess my sin and to follow Your guidance in living in a better life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Just Wait!

7/21/2018

"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." -Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

There are times in our lives when we have to wait. When we are waiting on unknown things, we may be anxious about the results. Waiting can be easier if we have an idea about what is to come. In our lives, we cannot know our future, but we can make choices that will make waiting easier!

God is with us at every point of the day and every day of our lives. When we call on God, we can be assured that He hears us. When we talk to God, He will answer us. While the answers may not come on our schedule, we can wait with the confidence that God is working for us. We can pray to God, whether in the morning, during the day, or at night, and then we can wait on God!

Bring your requests to God and wait on Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being near me and hearing my requests. Grant me the patience to wait on the perfect timing of Your answers. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Get Wisdom!

7/20/2018

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." -Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)

While traveling, I was having a conversation with someone I met about education. Before coming to this country, he, too, was a teacher. We discussed the costs of education, but agreed that it is necessary. We need to learn, whether through school or our experiences, in order to become better!

God reminds us that we need to "get wisdom." There are many ways we can learn and gain wisdom. We can allow God to teach us through our experiences. We can attend school and learn from others that know more than us or have experienced more than us. We can also turn to God's Word and to prayer to allow God to teach us. Regardless of how we learn or gain wisdom, we need to be open to all that God is ready to teach us!

Get wisdom from God and put it to work in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the ways that You provide learning and wisdom. Help me to understand Your lessons and to apply them to my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Teamwork!

7/19/2018

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor." -Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV)

I was recently able to spend an enjoyable evening visiting old friends. As we reminisced about working and hanging out together, we remembered times of working together to accomplish goals. Sometimes we met the goals at work and sometimes we worked to overcome the frustrations of work. It was always good to have someone to rely on and commiserate with on our journeys.

As we travel on our spiritual journeys, it is good to have others on which to rely. We can support each other as we encounter barriers and experience triumphs. In supporting each other, we need to begin with love and compassion. We can learn love and compassion from building a relationship with God. As we show love and compassion and work together, we can experience greater returns on our investments in God's work!

Build a relationship with God and support each other!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the love and compassion You provide. Help me to use Your love and compassion as I work with others for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Show Love, Show God!

7/18/2018

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." -I John 4:12 (NIV)

I recently saw a quote that said, "Love is a verb, but without action it is only a word." We can spend a lot of time trying to define or measure love, but these definitions or measures are just words unless there is an action associated with them. Besides just our actions, we need to consider the source of love: God!

God is the source of all love. Even though we may not directly see Him, we can know that He exists. We can read about Him and we can see His works. We can feel His love and presence in our lives. Once we know God, we can also show others love. Because of God, we have love to give. When we show love, we show each other glimpses of God.

Show love and show God to others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love in my life. Help me to show Your love to others and allow them to see You through Your loving ways. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Understand the Path

7/17/2018

"He stores up sound wisdom for the upright, He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course." -Proverbs 2:7-9 (NASB)

We all have a course or pathway through life. Sometimes we can clearly see our direction. However, there are other times that it seems as if we are traveling through a fog, looking for signs that we are on the right pathway. There are times when the events in our lives can clear away the fog and allow us to more easily see our path!

God has wisdom for our lives and He is a shield to protect us. When we seem to be walking in a fog, He can guide us. God's answers to our prayers, whether they are a "yes," "no," or "wait until later," can give us direction and allow us to clearly see the course we should be on in our lives. When we trust in God and pursue His righteousness, we will see the right path. We can then follow Him as we work for justice and equity in all that we do!

Follow God and allow Him to show you the path for justice and equity!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always providing me with direction in my life. Help me to always clearly see Your pathway in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

What's Your Competition?

7/16/2018

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." -I Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

There's a quote that says, "Look in the mirror; that is your competition." When we get ready to compete, even if it is with ourselves, we need to train. We can physically train, but we can also spiritually train. But it is not our training that will guarantee an eternal crown!

We should spiritually train in order to learn and follow God's will. We should study God's Word. We can pray to God and listen to His response. These things will help us run our earthly race and will help others see God through us. However, it is not these works that give us eternal life. We cannot "win" a place in God's eternal glory by competing with others. We can only be guaranteed eternal life through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior. We can compete with ourselves to grow in our understanding and following of God's will as long as we begin with salvation through Jesus!

Compete with yourself to become better at following God's will and showing His glory to others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for allowing me to have eternal life. Help me to be better each day as I work to follow You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Mercy, Peace, & Love

7/15/2018

"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance." -Jude 1:2 (NIV)

I can remember watching and learning from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as I grew up. I recently was able to see the documentary about Mister Rogers' life and television show. Watching the documentary and remembering times watching the show, I was reminded of the gentleness, love, and peace that guided Mr. Rogers and the interactions on his show.

In each of our lives, we should strive to live for God. Regardless of the circumstances we are in, we can rely on God and turn to Him to discover that He is filled with mercy, peace, and love. We can accept God's gifts of mercy, love, and peace. After accepting these gifts, we should share these with others. While we may not have a television show that reaches millions, our words and actions can impact the lives of those around us. God gives in abundance and it is up to us to share accordingly!

Be sure to share God's mercy, peace, and love with all of your neighbors!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the mercy, peace, and love that You give to me in abundance. Help me to share these with those around me for Your glory. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Run and Don't Stumble!

7/14/2018

"Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble." -Psalm 119:165 (NIV)

When we are young, we learn to walk. Our first steps are usually not very steady or stable, but, as we grow, we improve our balance. We walk and before long we lear to run without stumbling or falling down.

In our lives, God has placed each of us where we are for a purpose. On our own, we may sometimes stumble. However, if we are following God and listening to His will, we will have both peace and reassurance that He will not let us stumble. By keeping our eyes on Him, we can learn to run the race for Him!

Follow God's will in your life and run for Him without stumbling!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me with each stem. Help me to listen to You and to trust in the direction that You have for my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Living Testimonies

7/13/2018

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." -I John 5:11 (NIV)

In a recent reading, the author reminded the readers that we cannot have "pretend" beliefs. Even if we can successfully hide them for a short time, our words and actions will reveal our true beliefs. In essence, each of our lives are a testimony. What are our testimonies?

As we live our lives, what do our words and actions say? We have been given eternal life through God's Son. Once we accept God's forgiveness, we can tell others our testimony. We can share our story about God's presence in our lives. However, we can also do more. We can live our lives for God. We can show others God's grace and mercy through the way we live, the way we interact with others, and the importance of our faith. We can be living testimonies of God's gift of His Son!

Be a living testimony for God through your words and actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being an active part of my life. Thank You for Jesus and for redemption through Him. Help me to be a living testimony for You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Rise and Shine!

7/12/2018

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." -Isaiah 60:1 (NIV)

There are those days when we can sleep in...when we don't have to get up at a certain time or be anywhere in particular. We may look forward to those days, but sometimes our bodies aren't aware that we don't need to be up and we are awake at our regular time. Whenever we wake up, we should be ready to welcome God's light and praise His glory!

Each day that God gives us is a gift, an opportunity to praise Him and serve Him. We can wake up, we can be aware of God's presence, and we can rise. We can welcome God's light in our lives and then we can choose to reflect this light so that others, too, can see Him and praise Him. We can rise and shine for God as we share His love and His light for the world, then we can join with others as we praise Him!

Rise and shine and give God the glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your light in my life. Help me to reflect Your light and Your love so others can see You. All praise to You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

One for All!

7/11/2018

"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." -I John 2:2 (NIV)

As I prepare for next school year, I have been reading about equity and our approaches to a wide range of students. Equity is not the same as equality. Equity is giving each person what he or she needs, while equality is just giving everyone the same thing. Fortunately for us, we have one God that knows each of us and what we all need!

God knows what each of us need. We all need to be redeemed from our sin. While we have the same need, we are all individuals. However, God knows how to provide equality and equity through His Son. Only through the one sacrifice of Jesus can we all be redeemed. Jesus Christ provides both equality and equity as we are redeemed and become with God and with other believers!

God has given us the One sacrifice to redeem you and the rest of the world!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the gift of redemption through Your Son. Help me to accept Your forgiveness and to share Your gift with all those around me. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Climb Higher!

7/10/2018

"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights." -Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)

At different times in my life, I have had the opportunity to try rock climbing. Whether on an indoor wall or a real rock face, climbing can be fun, but takes a lot of strength and some learning. It is reassuring to climb with safety gear on and we shouldn't face the walls or challenges in our lives without strength, learning and safety gear!

God offers to provide everything we need when facing challenges in our lives. He is strength and power and He will strengthen us. He will also provide teaching that allows us to learn and to have direction as we climb. Finally, He is our safety net. He will hold and comfort us and He will catch us if we fall. When we call on God for strength, we can be sure that He will allow us to be sure-footed like the deer as we climb higher in our lives to overcome any challenges we may face!

Climb higher by calling on God and allowing Him to provide strength, direction, and safety!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being with me, giving me strength and direction, and keeping me safe. Help me to climb higher and overcome challenges as I rely on and listen to You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Not Too High!

7/9/2018

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." -Romans 12:3 (NIV)

It can be a good thing to have confidence in ourselves. Having self-confidence can allow us to approach challenges and figure things out. However, we may find that we need to balance our confidence with our abilities. If we over-estimate either our abilities or our weaknesses, we can trap ourselves and limit our accomplishments.

We don't want to think too highly of ourselves. We shouldn't have too much self-confidence. We need to be grounded or humble. To keep ourselves grounded, we should be rooted in God's Word and in our relationships with Him. Through our faith, we can talk to God. We can recognize the talents and blessings He has given us and we can credit Him as the source of these things. We can then work for His Kingdom, not for ourselves. By serving God through service to others, we can stay humble and reap the joy of spreading God's love!

Don't allow yourself to get too high on your own abilities, but follow God through faith and praise Him and use the talents and blessings He provides!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the talents and blessings in my life. Help me to use them to serve You by serving others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Trust the Process!

7/8/2018

"All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent." -Isaiah 28:29 (NIV)

I try to stay on track with exercising to keep my body healthy. Some of the instructional videos remind me to "trust the process," stick with it, and realize the results of the work. Sometimes we would like to skip the process to get to the end result, but that isn't how life works. God has a plan, we need to have faith!

God blesses each of us. He doesn't just have a plan for our lives, He has a wonderful plan for our lives. We need to remember that He is wise and powerful and can bring about good from any situation or circumstance. We just need to trust in God's plan - in His process - for our lives. When we have faith and trust in Him, we can be reassured that He is working for us. We just need to listen to and do our best to follow the plan He provides!

Trust in God's process for your life and follow His wonderful plan!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for having a plan for my life. Help me to listen to You and trust in Your process and plan for my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Mercy, Grace, and You!

7/7/2018

"Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy." -Micah 7:18 (NIV)

While listening to the radio the other day, I was reminded of a story that Garth Brooks tells about an annual outing with a couple of his friends. The story goes that one friend asks if Garth knows the difference between mercy and grace. The friend then goes on to explain that, "Mercy is when God doesn't give us what we deserve. Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve."

Our lives are likely filled with moments of mercy and grace. God doesn't give us the punishment of sin that we deserve. He also gives us redemption through His Son without requiring a "payment" from us. God is delighted to be able to show mercy and to offer grace. It is our role to accept these gifts from God and use them for the good of others and the glory of God's Kingdom. We have been shown mercy and grace, now it is up to us to continue to spread the Good News!

God has offered you mercy and grace, accept them and work for His glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your mercy and grace in my life. Help me to accept these gifts and to use my life for Your glory. Through Jesus I pray, amen.