Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional

Jesus was back in Cana in Galilee when a royal official from King Herod’s court found Him and begged Jesus to come and heal his son in Capernaum. We are not told if the man was Jew or Gentile, but he had obliviously heard of Jesus performing miracles and was desperate to have Him heal his boy. But Jesus did something extraordinary…He tells the man to go back home, that his son would recover from his illness. But then this man does something equally as extraordinary…he believes what Jesus is telling him. Seven simple words, spoken emphatically, declared, not merely prophesized…but holding the power to heal. Seven words spoken at a distance but yet yielding the divine power to give life back to a dying child. What caused this man to trust Jesus? Was it the authority in His voice…the assurance in His eyes…the trustworthiness in His manner? Whatever the man saw & heard from Jesus, he went away, convinced his son would live.

Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried. The season of being used mightily by the Lord has ended & you feel forgotten, useless, & put out to pasture. But consider this – maybe the Lord has actually planted you and you are being prepared. We all know that seed planted in the soil doesn’t germinate & sprout overnight…there’s a time of development and preparation. Just think, God may be preparing you to burst forth soon for Him. That’s because we are God’s field (I Corinthians 3:9) … and He has promised that we will flourish and still bear fruit in old age. (Psalm 92:12-15)

There will be many times in our life when the path ahead is darkened by confusion, shrouded by pain & suffering, or obscured by grief. That’s when we must remind ourselves of the simple but profound verse in II Corinthians 5:7, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” We may have no idea what the future holds, or what lies in the days ahead…but God does. And we can rely entirely upon His Word with confidence. And so we move forward, one step at a time, in faithfulness and obedience…listening to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. And He will direct our footsteps according to His Word. (Psalm 119:133)

We get into trouble every time we do what we want. It’s the difference between a self-made life or a sent life…a life filled with pride & ego or a committed life of reverence for the Lord. The fear of the Lord is all about growing in wisdom from the Author of all wisdom, and the ability & joy then to rest satisfied in the care of the Lord.

Paul addressed these precious sisters in the Lord by name concerning some unknown disagreement. These two ladies were not unbelievers, but rather treasured saints who had both worked closely with Paul in establishing the Church in Philippi…possibly charter members & even deaconesses. But now sadly their silly feud threatened to split the Church. Paul asked them, with the help from fellow Believers in the Church, “to agree with each other in the Lord.” In other words, to put aside their differences and become like-minded. (Philippians 2:2) To look beyond their petty bickering and become one in Spirit, purpose, and affection that gladly honors the other…equally yoked together and pulling in the same direction for the sake of the Gospel.

In quoting this Scripture, Charles Spurgeon once wrote, ” ‘I am with you always’, is enough for my soul to live upon no matter who forsakes me.” The greatest assurance we can have that God will never abandon us comes in the form of His indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. God’s gracious Presence with His people is at the very heart of our covenant relationship with Him…and we can trust Him for He is a promise-keeping God. The world will forsake us…but God never will… and so our souls also can take solace & comfort in that.

We only have to read in Revelations to see the end of suffering and death as we know it. Revelation 7:17 tells us that Jesus Christ will be our Shepherd leading us to springs of living water & wiping away every tear from our eyes…and Revelation 21:4 reassures us that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. But while we wait for that glorious day…death and dying is happening all around us, with no one immune to the pain of losing a loved one. Mourning & grief have visited us all, and that’s why it makes it so awkward to reach out to someone experiencing loss. It opens us up to hurt as we ourselves relive past grief. But that shouldn’t stop us. We can be the strength and hope for those in distress, extending consolation, comfort, and care…or as Isaiah 35:10 points to the day when gladness & joy will overtake sorrow & sighing like fleeing defeated foe…and the glorious light of new hope will dawn brightly on the horizon of our lives.

The only sure & solid bedrock we can build our Christian life on is the Gospel Message…with Jesus Himself being the Chief Cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) He is our starting place, the first stone laid in order that all the following structure will be plumb and straight. It’s our responsibility to build on this foundation with worthy not worthless things, with the imperishable not perishable. For if we build on this foundation with worldly wisdom and human pride it will not last. But if we build on it with sound teaching…learning more everyday and in turn discipling others, they too will learn to build on the one and only true foundation of Jesus Christ.

The Bereans were a unique group of people that Paul preached to. They gave his teaching an open hearing…honestly listening, eagerly willing to receive what he had to say. But then they conducted their own personal research of the Scriptures…comparing Paul’s words to God’s written Word…and it said that through this diligent investigation many of them came to faith in Jesus. We are all to be like the Bereans, discerning what we hear & comparing it to God’s Word. For no man is above putting his own personal spin on God’s Word to make it a little more modern, progressive, and inclusive.

Martin Luther once said, “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.” This quote is especially important when it comes to idle conversations. You know the kind of informal drivel we engage in that can quickly get out of hand if we allow. It can go from a innocent gabfest to a all out “B” session rapidly. Idle speech can also digress to throwing someone else under the bus with unsubstantiated gossip. And too easily we can get caught up in one-up Manship… trying to outdo what others are saying to gain a feeling of superiority and prove we’re better than them. But the worst is betraying a trust and blurting out things that someone else has entrusted us with. Think before you speak, for keeping a confidence strengthens a relationship, but divulging those private details by gossiping destroys it.