Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Fly fishermen cast their line along the top of the water, then quickly pull it back to mimic flying insects, luring a fish to catch it. Beautiful to watch and hard to do, the angler’s continuous motion mesmerizes onlookers. Unlike spin casting, which sails its bait into the water and waits for the fish to bite. God wants us to cast our cares on Him and not take them back.

Often, when I give my burdens to the Lord, I act like a fly fisherman, back and forth, giving them to God and taking them back. Our Creator wants us to cast our burdens to Him and leave them there, trusting Him to handle the load. God already has a plan for whatever trials we face; giving our cares to Him removes the weight from our shoulders and gives it to the One who has the answers.

Imagine yourself casting the troubles of this day out onto the water, the Lord waiting to catch them. Relax into the moment, experiencing the relief of ridding yourself of the burden. Trust God to sustain you as He takes care of the issue, one way or another. In all things, the Lord rules. We may not see a solution, but the Way Maker will part the seas and lead us to the other side on dry land.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for taking our burdens upon Yourself and sustaining us while You handle the issue. Please let us give all our cares to You today and experience Your peace that surpasses all understanding.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Instead of focusing on your fears, keep your eyes on Jesus. Chosen trust has intention. We can place our faith in many things, but only the Lord proves trustworthy. Time and again, God protects us from ourselves and others; we can trust Him.

For a long time, I trusted in myself. When choosing my path, I didn’t take advice from anyone, especially the Lord, and I found myself in the pit of despair.

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest”.
Corrie Ten Boom

Holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom says it best. When we look at the world, we’ll feel distressed. Focusing within causes depression. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will find rest.

Choose who you trust today. Place your faith in the Creator, aligning your heart with His. Let God do the fighting for you. With the Savior, you have nothing to fear. Man can’t hurt you because Christ gave you victory when He walked out of the tomb. In God, you can trust.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us something to cling to as we face the day’s battles. Please help us remember You and not fear man. Please give us the strength to persevere in the face of opposition.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Before David fought any battle, he sought the Lord. Knowing God fought for him, the warrior didn’t hesitate to take on Goliath. Like the shepherd boy who took down a giant with one stone, we have divine help to fight our battles.

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45

Knowing where our help comes from gives us the strength to defeat the giants. The Lord assists us, giving us the tools to accomplish His purpose. When David prepared to take on Goliath, Saul dressed him in armor, but it didn’t fit the young boy. Shedding the metal protection, David picked up five smooth stones and relied on the Lord to use his skills to win the fight. As a shepherd, David had honed his stone-slinging technique protecting the sheep, and now God used the boy’s ability to save His people.

Face today’s enemy with the Lord as your helper. Lean into Him and find victory. With divine assistance, you can confidently face today’s giant, knowing God fights for you.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us divine assistance to face our enemies and find victory. Please help us lean into You as we face the giants in our lives, trusting you for all we need.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God’s constant support and provision help us trust Him. Isaiah conveys his message using words from the Song of Moses (Exodus 15). Relying on the Lord for strength gives us the courage to overcome our fears and seek and serve Him. The more we know scripture, the better we can apply it, recalling God’s promises and standing on the firm foundation of His word.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

My mother instilled the above Proverb into my life, giving me a 5×7 framed print that sat beside my bed for years. At first, I didn’t understand the words’ message, but as time passed and life happened, I began to rely on the promise more and more. Now, the sentence brings me comfort, joy, and peace as I trust in the Lord to make my paths straight.

Rely on God for salvation. Let Him strengthen you for the battle. Christ gave us victory with His death and resurrection; we need not fear man. Live fearlessly for the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for saving us from ourselves, strengthening us for the battle, and giving us victory in Christ. Please help us live boldly for You, not letting fear stop us from accomplishing our purpose.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God promises protection. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Lord swore to protect them, and He did. Our heavenly Father sustains us under His wings when we take refuge in Him. Like Pharoah, who witnessed the Israelites’ safety, people see what the Lord does for us. Our light shines into a dark world, glorifying our Creator.

Often, we don’t understand why things happen. The Israelites didn’t know why God rescued them from slavery only to suffer starvation in the wilderness. But then the Lord provided manna from heaven and, as a result, glorified His name. Thousands of years later, the Israelites serve as a witness to Jesus’s followers of God’s divine provision of daily bread. What the Lord did then, He continues to do now.

As Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes, nothing new exists under the sun. God’s word, the firm foundation, still stands strong. We can rely on His promises, allowing the Lord to work through us and, by doing so, become witnesses of His might and power.

Fear not; whatever you face today, the Lord has the answer. Turn to Him and allow God to shine through you, exemplifying His glorious strength.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for protecting us and keeping us from harm. Please let Your glory shine through us, lighting the world around us as we witness for You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Daniel receives a divine message from an angelic messenger. Overcome with emotion, the Lord’s servant finds strength from God’s encouragement, ready to receive instruction and direction from above. Once we understand the depths of our Creator’s love for us, giving our lives to Him becomes a natural response to His affection.

We all share a common desire: to love and be loved. Having someone fully accept us, warts and all, fulfills a basic human need. We have that in the Lord. Not only does He greatly love us, but God created us out of His intense love for us.

The Almighty greatly loves you—so much so that God sent Jesus, in human form, to die for you on the cross, defeating death and establishing an eternal connection to the Lord.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

If no one else existed on the Earth, Jesus would still have died for you. God goes after the one, leaving the 99. When someone places their faith in the Savior, the heavens rejoice.

God greatly loves you. Accept that truth today, ponder it, and let it fill your soul with peace.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for Your great love for us, which gives us an eternal connection to You no one can break. Please help us receive and accept Your love, allowing it to strengthen and encourage us.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Like the Israelites wandering in the desert, God doesn’t want us to worry about tomorrow. The Lord gave them daily manna. He didn’t give the Israelites supplies to carry for the entire journey, wanting them to trust Him for their daily needs.

God gave His people enough food for the day, and the next morning, more bread appeared. The Lord’s daily manna stained the Israelites for the journey until they arrived in the promised land.

As we travel through this life to the promised land, the Lord doesn’t want us to worry about tomorrow’s needs. Instead, God wants us to trust Him for our daily requirements. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He instructed them to ask the Lord for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). The Almighty only wants us to think about today, trusting His provision as we face the day’s challenges. Wherever God guides, He provides. He did it for the Israelites; the Lord will do it for us.

When God brings us to the Red Sea, He knows how He will part it. Let the Lord lead, enjoying the journey as He takes care of the trip.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for handling today’s problems. Please help us trust You more as anxiety tries to steal our joy. Keep our eyes focused on You, knowing You will part the Red Sea for us and show us the way.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

We live in a world full of lies that people not only believe but dig their heels into and refuse to consider any other possibilities. But we do have hope. In time, God reveals an undeniable truth that even the most extreme opponents can’t deny. Praying for eyes to see and ears to hear the Lord’s truth becomes our best defense against the enemy’s ploys.

Recently, I learned the term “Soldier Mindset:” people defend what they already believe against what they see as threats. I’ve done this myself; ask my husband, who constantly challenges me. As a result, I’ve learned to develop a “Growth Mindset:” exploring and accepting new ideas.

Instead of forcing my beliefs on others, I ask questions and try to understand their position. Then, when the opportunity arises, I plant seeds of truth, praying that they will take root. But ultimately, I leave them in God’s hands, knowing He reveals truth to us all in His sovereignty.

Seek the Creator for truth. He will reveal it to you. No one lies to us more than we lie to ourselves. With the Savior on our side, He reveals the truth in love, helping us become more like Him and less like the world.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for revealing the truth, drawing us closer to You, and enabling us to share it with others. Please reveal any lies we believe, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

For years, I didn’t think I had any value. Because I felt invisible on the inside, I didn’t think people noticed me on the outside, and so when someone saw me, I felt shocked. Growing up in the country, when I looked up at the stars in the sky, I felt small in the context of the vast universe surrounding us. Jesus’s words assure us of our place in the world; one God notices, even more so than the sparrows.

Small brown birds, sparrows build their nests close to the ground, feed their babies insects, and lead indiscriminate lives, hardly noticed by anyone. But the Lord sees them and knows their activities. Jesus wants us to understand: If the Creator cares about these barely noticed birds, how much more does He care about us?

Despite what you may feel inside, you matter. God notices and wants a relationship with you so desperately that He sent His Son to die for you. The Lord created you for a purpose only you can fulfill. Trust His words, believe God’s promises, and know you have immense value to the Lord and the world.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us value and demonstrating its depth through Jesus. Please help us see ourselves as You do and understand our purpose as we seek You wholeheartedly.
IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

When Jesus strolled up to the disciple’s boat, they didn’t recognize Him, petrified of the figure walking on water. Immediately, the Savior calms their fears by identifying Himself. Sometimes, when God moves, it can take us by surprise, scaring us.

I often think of Jesus walking on water, Peter joining him on the roaring waves. To experience the miracle, not only did the disciple have to get out of the boat, but he also had to overcome his fear. Taking steps of faith often comes with an anxiety attack. Thinking of what could go wrong can paralyze us, causing us never to move.

Just as Jesus calmed the disciples, if we focus our eyes on Him, the Lord will also calm us. God didn’t create us to live in fear. With His Spirit residing inside us, the Lord gives us everything we need to pursue the dreams He gives us and take the steps necessary to accomplish them. Writing my first devotional took enormous courage, as did my first book. But the more I allow God to lead me, the easier it becomes, and the more I write, trusting Him with the results.

Let Jesus calm you with His presence. Give your fears to Him, and walk on water with the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for calming our fears with Your presence that never leaves nor forsakes us. Please help us become more sensitive to Your Spirit as we follow You one day at a time.
IJNIP. Amen