Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Reach Perfection!

10/31/2020

"And, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." -Hebrews 5:9 (NIV)

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we can chase perfection we can catch excellence." Whether we are chasing perfection in football or other parts of our lives, we cannot reach perfection on our own. However, we are fortunate to have someone that can help us reach it!

We all sin and we cannot reach perfection on our own. God knows this, but He wants what is best for us. Because of this, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin and to redeem us, allowing us to reach perfection through Him. We cannot attain perfection on our own, but we can receive it through the sacrifice of Jesus. When we accept Him and obey God, we can be made perfect through Him!

Perfection cannot be attained on your own, but only by accepting Jesus!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus and the perfection that comes through Him. Help me to obey Your will and to be redeemed through Jesus Christ. In His name I pray, amen.

Free (in His) Spirit!

10/30/2020

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." -II Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

Aung San Suu Kyi said, "The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear." We want to be free, but we also know that our sin creates a prison for us. The good news is that we do not have to fear the prison of sin. We can be free!

We are reminded that we can find freedom in the Spirit of the Lord. We can accept the redemption that Jesus offers. We can break free from the prison of sin and the fear of evil in this world. With Jesus Christ, we can be free in His Spirit!

Accept Jesus Christ and be free in His Spirit!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for my redemption through Him. Please forgive my sin, restore me, and help me to live free in Your Spirit. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Failproof!

10/29/2020

"For no word from God will ever fail." -Luke 1:37 (NIV)

We may fret. We may worry. We may even try to make plans and make changes all on our own. As we do these things, we often get frustrated. We do not need to spiral into frustration, we need something that is failproof!

God promises that He is with us. He promises to love us and to give us strength. He redeems and restores us. God is there to do all of this for us, but we need to have faith and trust in Him. We need to let go and allow Him to take control. We need to whole-heartedly believe that His word will never fail!

Take heart, trust God, and remember that His word is failproof!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do in my life. Help me to let go and trust in Your failproof word. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Troubles?

10/28/2020

"The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." -Psalm 34:19 (NIV)

I often say that I don't look for or cause trouble, it just seems to find me. We may have all felt this way at one time or another. There are troubles throughout the world and we know that we cannot avoid experiencing it. We do have a way out of trouble!

Sometimes people think that following God should mean trouble-free lives. However, we know that the world is full of trouble. We will have troubles. We will face challenges. As we face these troubles, we can turn to God and be assured that He is there to deliver us from them. We just need to have faith and follow His lead!

The world is full of troubles, but have faith that God will deliver you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your promises and Your power to deliver me from trouble. Help me to always trust in You and Your redemption. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Know It & Do It!

10/27/2020

"I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You." -Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Sometimes we act in certain ways because we do not know any better. Because of this, we can make mistakes and even hurt others. We can claim ignorance, but that should lead us to learn so that we can know better and do better in the future!

God has given us the Bible as instructions on how to live. He is also present and ready to talk with us in prayer. We can claim ignorance when we make mistakes, but it is up to us to choose to learn. We can go to Him in prayer. We can go to His Word. We can learn from Him and then act on it so we don't sin against Him. We have to know His Word, keep it in our hearts, and do it in our lives!

Know His Word. Keep it in your heart. Act on it throughout your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Word and for being present in my life. Help me to keep Your Word in my heart and to show it in my actions. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Dress for Success!

10/26/2020

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

In a couple of weeks, my daughter's school will have a "Dress Your Best Spirit Day." In our lives we have those times when we want to "dress our best." We have times when we want to dress for success in our lives or career. However, we should always dress for success as God's people!

As followers of God, we should reflect all that He is in our lives and in the world. We should put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We may experience times when it is hard to put on some of these pieces. Even when we struggle with one or more of these, we can turn to God so He can help us be clothed for His work in the world. We can dress for success as we spread the Good News!

Dress for success by putting on the "clothes" of God and spreading His Good News!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your "clothing." Help me to be clothed in these characteristics and to spread Your Good News in the world. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Find What Matters!

10/25/2020

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." -Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)

There is a quote that says, "If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money cannot buy." The world may tell us that we need to chase more money, but this can lead us into an endless, meaningless cycle of wanting more. Maybe we need to step back from this cycle and find what really matters!

There are many things that vie for our attention and seemingly try to convince us of what is important. To truly know what is important we should look to God. By spending time with God in prayer and in God's Word, we can hear from Him and learn His will in our lives. We can then find more riches than money could buy. We can find happiness that is rooted in so much more than money and the things of the world!

Instead of chasing money, find God and find what matters!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all of the blessings You provide. Help me to listen to You, follow Your will, and be content in all that You give me. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Remember the Golden Rule!

10/24/2020

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

We probably all heard the "Golden Rule" when growing up: "Treat others how you want to be treated." Even though we may have learned that, it often seems as if many have forgotten that rule. Instead of treating each other how we want to be treated, we see division and fighting throughout society.

God is love and calls us to love. We want to be loved and we are loved by God. Because of this, we should show love to others, too. We don't have to agree with each other, but we need to remember that we are all children of God. As His children, He loves each and every one of us and we should do our best to love others and do for them what we hope they would do for us. We should love others as we want to be loved. We should be kind, loving, and share God's grace and mercy as He is kind, loving, and merciful towards us!

Remember the "Golden Rule" and treat others as you want to be treated!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank you for being kind, loving, and merciful. Help me to show these same qualities to everyone I meet. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Offer Praise & Open Eyes!

10/23/2020

"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)

We may know people that are resistant to hearing about or seeing the glory of God. We can try to talk to them or show them, but could there be a better way? Carl Lentz said, "Praise is so powerful that it opens the eyes of people who don't want to see."

There are many reasons to praise God. We receive His blessings. We see His glory. We feel His love and compassion. Because God is in our lives, we witness His power and that can lead us to praise. However, our praise can also serve other purposes. As we praise God and acknowledge His presence, others can begin to see Him. We can praise God in ways that are so powerful that it opens the eyes of those that don't want to see!

Praise God so others can open their eyes and see His glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do in my life. I praise You and pray that my praise allows others to see You, too. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Slipping, Falling, & Getting Up!

10/22/2020

"He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber." -Psalm 121:3 (NIV)

There is a quote that says, "If you fall down seven times, get up eight." Sometimes we may feel like we fall more often than we would like, especially if we are trying to do things on our own. We may need help to keep getting up and to stay on our feet!

Fortunately, God is always ready to help. When we follow Him, He is sure to keep our feet on solid ground. He can keep us from slipping and falling. When we take our eyes off of Him, He can help to pick us up. God is always there with us and no matter the place or the time. We can always count on Him to help us up and keep us moving forward!

Turn to and follow God to keep yourself from slipping and falling or for help to get back up!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being with me. Please pick me up when I fall and help me to follow Your path. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Change Is Possible!

10/21/2020

"Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them." -Proverbs 4:5 (NIV)

Gwen Ifill once said, "Change comes from listening, learning, caring, and conversation." When we are ready for change in our lives, we need to remember to do these things. We can gain wisdom and understanding that help us to change, we just need to go to the right source!

The focus of change in our lives should always be toward becoming better people. We can be better by following the actions in Gwen Ifill's quote. First, we need to listen to God's words, neither forgetting nor turning away from them. We need to learn from God's Word and the examples He provides for us. We should accept God's love and caring and then show these same qualities to others. Finally, we should have a constant conversation with God through prayer. When we do these things, we can gain wisdom and understanding, we can make a positive change in our lives and in the lives of others as long as we do not forget and do not turn away from God!

Change is possible when we listen to God, learn from Him, show His love and care, and talk with Him through prayer!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the wisdom and understanding that You provide. Help me to listen to, learn from, and talk with You always. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Praise the Lord!

10/20/2020

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." -Psalm 150:6 (NIV)

In a recent conversation, someone said that it has been hard to look forward to things lately. Quarantine and other changes in the events in our lives have limited some of the usual things we enjoy - from fairs and festivals to gatherings with family and friends. Even though times are different, we still have hope and something to look forward to!

God blesses us all the time and in every situation we find ourselves. God gives us love. He is compassionate. He cares for us and will grant us strength when we call on Him. Because of all that God is and all that He does in our lives, we have so much to look forward to now and for eternity. Because God is great, we should praise Him and we should look forward to His blessings now and to spending eternity with Him!

Praise the Lord! Look forward to His blessings now and forever!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for all that You do in my life. All praise and glory to You! Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Good Words!

10/19/2020

"A person finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word!" -Proverbs 15:23 (NIV)

It can feel good to receive a compliment or a kind word. It can also feel good to give a compliment or a kind word. Mother Theresa reminded us that, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

As we go through each day, we need to remember God's love, compassion, and kindness. Reflecting on all that God is and does, we need to show his love, compassion, and kindness. We can start with our words - by offering timely and kind words - and then show it in our actions!

Offer good, kind words to others as you spread God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and compassion. Help me to show Your love in my words and actions. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Follow the Spirit!

10/18/2020

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." -Romans 8:14 (NIV)

Sometimes we don't know where we are headed or, if we do, we know where we want to go, but we don't know how to get there. We can wander around lost or we can look for direction. In our lives, we can find direction by following the Spirit!

We don't have to wander through life lost. God has given us the Holy Spirit as our guide. We are God's children and we can trust that the Holy Spirit will lead us to God. We can talk to God and follow the Holy Spirit to walk in the path that God has planned for us!

Follow the Holy Spirit so you can follow God's path and not be lost!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for caring for me and sending the Holy Spirit as my guide. Help me to follow the Spirit and to walk in Your way. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Inspiration & Strength

10/17/2020

"Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." -Hebrews 12:3 (ESV)

Many people are dealing with a lot of different issues in their lives. We may not always see the difficulties that others face and it may seem that our own issues are bigger than all those around us. Whether we are facing the challenges in our own lives or helping others, we need to draw on the inspiration and strength of Jesus!

Jesus came to earth to live as a human. In doing so, Jesus experienced life and the temptations we face. He also endured more than we could ever imagine. He took the sin for all of us and became our sacrifice. However, this wasn't the end as Jesus conquered death and can help us do the same. Jesus persevered so we can find inspiration and strength through Him. With Jesus as our Savior, we can overcome and we can share His strength and inspiration with others!

Accept Jesus, find strength and inspiration in Him for yourself, and to share with others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and for the strength and inspiration that He provides. Help me to overcome my challenges and to share Your Good News with others. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Forgive & Be Forgiven

10/16/2020

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." -Matthew 6:12 (NIV)

There are many things in life that are a "two-way street." In order to reap rewards, we need to plant the right seeds. To get the outcomes we desire, we need to put in the right amount and type of work. When it comes to being forgiven, we are also called to forgive!

Jesus calls us to forgive. He teaches us to pray for forgiveness, but also to forgive others. This is not always easy to do, but it is necessary. We need to learn from the example and words of Jesus. We can learn from the situations and people that God provides in our lives. Most importantly, we need to trust in God's forgiveness and call on Him to give us the strength to forgive. We are forgiven, we need to forgive!

God has forgiven you. Call on and trust in Him so you can forgive others!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for forgiving me. Help me to forgive others. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray, amen.

Pass the Test!

10/15/2020

"Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." -James 1:3 (NIV)

We probably all remember taking tests at school. While we may not have looked forward to tests, a well-designed test could provide valuable information, especially when the teacher provided feedback to us or used the results to guide instruction. However, tests are not just for school!

We experience different tests throughout our lives. Our faith and commitment to God may be tested. These tests can be valuable as we learn more about God's faithfulness to us. We can continue to grow in our spiritual journeys. We can learn to persevere and become better people. We can accept the feedback and guidance from God, our Teacher, to pass the test and spread the Good News!

Pass the tests of life by keeping the faith and persevering with God's guidance!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your teaching. Help me to learn from You, to persevere, and to grow in my faith. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Just Keep Swimming!

10/14/2020

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." -Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)

In the movie Finding Nemo, the character Dory reminds Marlin to "just keep swimming." I was reminded of this during a recent conversation with a co-worker. There are days when the expectations and demands of work and life seem to continue to pile up, but we just keep swimming!

We probably all experience those times in life when there is too much to do. We may feel like the water is rising around us or we are being forced into the fire. When we feel like everything is crashing down on us, we need to remember to call on God. God will help us. He will protect us and allow us to pass through the waters and not be overcome by the fires. We can trust in God and have faith in His power and protection. We need to just keep swimming toward God!

Just call on and keep swimming toward God and trust in His protection!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the protection that You provide. Help me to have faith and to trust that You will see me through whatever I face. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Accept Compassion

10/13/2020

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him." -Psalm 103:13 (NIV)

Many of us often take pride in what we can accomplish. We may also be reluctant to accept the help or compassion of others. We can want to do things on our own, but we also know that we have limitations. We need to be ready and willing to accept help and compassion!

God is a God of love and compassion. He wants what is best for each of us. He wants us to have the skills to do things, but He also knows we cannot do everything on our own. Because He knows each of us, He is ready to support us and to help us. We need to acknowledge that we need God and we need to be ready to accept the love, help, and compassion that He offers. God has compassion. We need to accept Him and His compassion!

God is loving and compassionate. We need to accept His love and compassion!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your love and compassion. Help me to accept all that You offer and to share Your love and compassion with others. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Take a Step!

10/12/2020

"The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him." -Psalm 37:23 (NIV)

Bruce Lee said, "If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." Whether it is out of fear or uncertainty, we may resist taking a first step. Without the first step, we cannot begin or complete a journey!

We need to be prepared to take our first step, to stop thinking and start acting. To be sure our journey starts with a solid foundation, we need to be sure our steps are on God's path. We need to call on God. We can confide in Him all of our fears, uncertainties, and hesitations. We can then rely on God to make our steps firm and secure as we follow Him and His will in our lives!

Go to God and then trust in Him as you take a step!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your support and understanding. Help my steps to be firm and help me to stay on Your path. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Plan and Purpose

10/11/2020

"Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." -Titus 2:14 (NIV)

Sometimes we may wonder about our purpose. We may search for a plan. When we are looking for direction in our lives, we need to look to God!

When we are looking for a plan, we can start with the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus came and was crucified so that all of us can be redeemed and purified. We can have a plan and change our lives by accepting Jesus as our Savior. From our acceptance of Jesus, we have purpose. We are called to be His people and to do good!

Begin your plan by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and then have the purpose to live and do good for Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your Son and the redemption through Him. Help me to live for You and to do good in all that I do. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Right Heart, Right Mind

10/10/2020

"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)

Seeing this verse today reminded me of my former pastor, now retired. Each Sunday before his sermon, he would say these words. As the congregation prayed with him, we, too, were asking for God to put our hearts in the right place. However, we should not only say this prayer on Sundays in church!

Each and every day, we should ask God for His guidance and to help us go about our work with the right heart, right mind, and right words. We can begin each day with a call to God and then allow Him to fill our hearts, direct our words, and keep us in His frame of mind. We can rely on God as our Rock and Redeemer to help our words and thoughts to guide our actions that align with His will!

Begin each day by asking God to help you have the right heart and mind, and right words and actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being my Rock and my Redeemer. Please fill my words, actions, heart, and mind with Your love and spirit. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Do the Right Thing!

10/9/2020

"Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous." -Psalm 37:16-17 (NIV)

Guy Kawasaki said, "Better to fail at doing the right thing than to succeed at doing the wrong thing." Sometimes there may be shortcuts that seem to offer a way to get ahead or get rich, but we need to be careful not to do to the wrong thing. We need to continually try to do what is right and allow God to take care of everything!

We need to be prepared to do the right thing. Doing the right thing may not always lead to us being rich, but we will have the support of God. We can call on God and embrace the love and support that He gives us. As we rely on God, we will find that we do not fail like we would on our own. With God, we are upheld in our righteousness and faith in Him!

Do the right thing and rely on God to turn your efforts into success!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for upholding me and helping me. Allow my efforts at doing the right thing to be successful through You. In Jesus I pray, amen.

Always a Way!

10/8/2020

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" -Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

There are days when there do not seem to be enough hours. The work or "to-do" list piles up or gets longer without an end in sight. We may begin to feel that it is impossible to accomplish anything. Even though we may not feel we can reach the end, there is always a way!

When we think things are impossible, we need to change our perspective. Instead of looking through what we can do, we need to look at things with God! All things that we see as impossible are possible for God. We need to call on Him and trust in His way. Trusting in God's strength and love for us, we can know that there is always a way - God's way!

When things look impossible, there is always a way - God's way!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the strength and power that You share with me. Help me to always trust in Your time and Your way. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Rise, Shine, Reflect!

10/7/2020

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

With the arrival of fall, the mornings get darker. Some days this darkness can make it harder to wake up and get moving for the day. However, we always have reason to rise and shine!

Each and every day, we can arise. We can embrace the light that has come for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to show love, to offer us salvation. He provides strength and He offers compassion. With Jesus in our lives, we can rise and we can shine for Him and because of Him!

Rise, shine, and reflect the light of Jesus Christ in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for sending Jesus Christ and for His light in the world. Help me to reflect His light in all I do. In Jesus I pray, amen.