Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Stronghold has two interpretations, one positive and one negative.  The word means “fortified place.”[1]  In today’s verse, the psalmist calls the Lord the stronghold of his life.  In this sense, God provides a place of refuge and protection that no one can break, a very positive use of the word, and one we want and need.

At other times, a stronghold means a person has a bondage to sin that they often can’t see and don’t realize its negative impact upon them.  In other words, sin has become a fortified place where they take refuge instead of the Lord.  My anger had a stronghold on me for years until I did the hard work to overcome it and lay it at the foot of the cross, taking refuge in the Lord instead of anger.

The more we take refuge in the Lord, the less we will find ourselves in bondage to sin.  As God leads us through life, He will reveal the areas where sin has a stronghold and help us overcome it, just as the Savior did with my anger, making me aware of a significant blind spot in my life.

When we take refuge in the Lord and live in His stronghold, we needn’t fear anything. He protects us from the enemy’s attacks and saves us from our sins.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for providing a stronghold for us to take refuge.  Please help us see our blind spots and overcome them with Your help.  Let us honor and serve You in everything we do.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold

One-minute read.

Security in God defeats people’s best-laid plans. The movie 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 reflects the truth of how women act, even adult ones.  Lord knows, I’ve had my share of manipulative individuals in my life, trying to control me with their ploys.  But God always saves me from their antics.

Keeping focused on the Savior, making Him a priority in Your life, and striving to live for Jesus helps you avoid the carefully laid plans of people.  You may not understand at the time, but hindsight always gives us a 20/20 vision that lets us see how the Lord protected us.

The last “mean girl” experience I had cut me to the core.  I left the situation crying and very hurt.  Turning to God for comfort, I heard a whisper:

“Hurting people hurt others.”

And I realized that the treatment I received came from the pain my friends felt.  My heart began to soften, and healing began.  Giving my pain to the Lord helped me start the path of healing and gave me a different perspective, enabling me to pray for my friends and move forward, not getting caught in the snare and not repaying hurt for hurt.

Take refuge in the Lord, let Him protect you from the ploys of people, and help you heal from their fiery darts.  In God, you can trust.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us a refuge to run to when people hurt us.  Please protect us from the schemes of others and guide us on the path of righteousness with You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Fear paralyzes. While walking nine holes of golf with Ron, the wind blew his pushcart down a hill into the water. I couldn’t move, frozen as I watched the cart roll away. Meanwhile, Ron chased it down, unfortunately not able to stop it. Fear does the same thing: we get stuck and can’t move, affecting our ability to work for the Lord and walk in His ways.

If we focus on our fears, we can’t see the Savior.  Working through a hurtful situation, I texted a friend for support.  She pointed out two things I needed to focus on instead of the hurt I felt.

“Thank you for helping me see that; the hurt’s blinding me right now.”

“I know it is, but don’t let it.”

That texting conversation helped me take my eyes off the pain and place them back on Jesus.  We need others to help us stay focused.  And we need reminded, that God’s in control, He has a plan, and it will come to fruition in His time.  We have nothing to fear because the Lord fights for us.  Don’t let fear blind you to the truth.  You have the divine power to deal with whatever comes your way.

Be strong!  Fear not!

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us the strength to face our fears.  Please help us stay focused on You and not let our anxieties blind us.  Let us be strong!

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Jesus, on the way to Jairus’s home to attend to the ruler’s sick daughter, gets waylaid by a woman who touched His cloak, receiving immediate healing for her chronic bleeding.  Stopping to talk to her, a messenger arrives with the news that the girl died and the Savior no longer needed to come.

Christ ignores the messenger, telling Jairus not to fear but to believe. These words of assurance give the ruler peace, and he allows Jesus to continue to his home. Once at the house, Jesus sends the crowd outside, taking only the parents and His three most intimate disciples into the girl’s room to witness the miracle of her resurrection.

Jesus told the witnesses to tell no one and to get the girl something to eat—divinity and humanity together in His orders.  The mourners wouldn’t understand the miracle, and she still needed to eat. Not everyone believes in the power of the Savior; we can only share the light, people choose what to do with it. Overcoming fear requires divine intervention.  Believing in Jesus gives us access to His transformational power and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Whatever fear you face today, choose to believe in the Lord.  Trust that He will get you over the mountain, lighting Your path one step at a time.  Glorify the Savior by believing in Him.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us faith.  Please strengthen our belief each day, drawing us closer to You.  Let Your divine power intercede, giving us victory over our fears.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Fellowship with Jesus starts with confession.  Admitting our sinful nature, asking the Lord for forgiveness, and receiving it creates an unbreakable bond.  As the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, we become sensitive to His promptings when we seek God through His word, fellowship with others, prayer, and meditation.

I woke up today sick to my stomach over a relational issue.  Opening my Bible and reading my devotions led me to this Scripture:

“It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Phil. 4:7 msg

As I wrote the words out in my journal and confessed to the Lord my part in the situation, the knot in my stomach disappeared, replaced with God’s peace that surpasses all understanding. Christ displaces worry with peace when we confess and give our lives to Him.

Let Jesus cleanse you today.  Spend time with Him, confessing your heart and seeking His faithful and just presence amid your struggles.  Allow the Lord to give you His peace, doing wonderful things in your life with His miraculous works.  Nothing compares to a life centered around Christ, lived wholly for Him.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for your faithful and just presence in our lives.  Please help us rely more on You today and less on ourselves.  Guide and direct our steps, take us where You want us to go, and let us share Your light with the world.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

What we focus on determines what we do.  If we ruminate on our fears, we will become paralyzed, unable to move.  But if we focus on the Lord, we leave our worries behind and trust Him to guide and direct our paths.  Man can only do so much to us; God controls the outcome and our journey.  We will climb mountains we never thought we would transgress, but we won’t do it alone.

Ron and I’s physical challenge in 2024 meant walking 18 holes of golf, equivalent to 8-10 miles of hills and valleys.  When we learned our pastor tackled this fete regularly, it motivated us to do the same.  We started slowly, walking nine holes twice a week, then three times, and by the fall, we had made our first attempt.

Playing with friends, we both felt nervous.  But we would never know unless we tried.  Completing that first 18 holes invigorated us and inspired us to do it repeatedly.  Since that day, we have attempted to walk 18 holes once a week.  Next year, we will try to do it twice a week.  We did it by keeping our eyes on the prize, focusing on the outcome, and trusting the Lord.  Instead of letting our fears dictate our actions, we trusted God and made it a reality, just like our pastor.

Keep the Son in your eyes, and the impossible becomes possible.  Take your eyes off Him, and you will find yourself floundering.  Trust in God. He has your back today and always.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for giving us a solid foundation to build our faith and life.  Please help us accomplish Your will in our lives, guide and direct our steps, and help us become more like Jesus.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

In sixth grade, Mr. Morgan taught us. Tall, with jet-black curly hair and a mustache, he had a deep voice and a hefty laugh. His mere presence demanded respect from my childish perspective. Always quick with a smile, I tested his patience one day, clowning around in class, not realizing I pushed the boundaries too far and received punishment. Five decades later, I still remember that moment. I never did it again, gaining wisdom from the event.

God loves us so dearly that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us.  But we can still experience the Lord’s wrath if we don’t respect His authority.  Just like Mr. Morgan had limits, so does God.  The scriptures tell of the Creator’s commands and what happens when we don’t obey them.  People often blame God when bad things happen, but their choices lead to unwanted consequences.

When we follow the Lord’s commands, we receive His blessing.  Proper respect for the Savior will motivate us to obey Him.  But when we act in the ways of the world, we’ll receive the consequences that come with those decisions.

Like I learned to respect Mr. Morgan’s ways, we must respect God’s even more. By fearing the Lord, we will discover abundant life as we pursue Him wholeheartedly, wisely following His commands rather than our selfish desires.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your word, which directs us on how to live.  Please give us the wisdom and discernment to obey Your commandments and not follow our selfish desires.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us a Helper, the Holy Spirit.  Residing in us, we became members of God’s family, brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we share the good news with others, the family and the Lord’s kingdom grow.

Our church occasionally sings worship in different languages. The first time they sang lyrics in Spanish surprised me. But then the pastor got up and shared a valuable insight with us. When we reach glory, we will hear many languages, the golden city filled with people of all heritages walking its streets. God’s family has many members from different cultures, but all brothers and sisters in the faith—how wonderful!

Adopted into God’s family through the blood of Christ, we share the same heavenly Father.  Our bonds to Him give us freedom from fear.  The more we lean into the Lord for strength, the bolder we will become.  Fearless, we can face the future knowing God has a plan for us, and in His time, it will unfold.

Embrace your position with Abba Father.  Love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging them on the journey and helping them fulfill their destiny.  Serving others brings joy and builds God’s kingdom, one person at a time.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for adopting us into Your family through Jesus.  Please help us remember our royal heritage, living fearlessly for You.  Let us honor and serve You well in all we do.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Meditating on God’s word, repeating it to yourself, and memorizing it all help you remember the Lord’s constant presence.  Favorite passages become keys to life when unexpected crises develop.  Relying on the truth of the Lord’s promises will help you remain strong and courageous in the face of adversity, not frightened or dismayed.

Praying over my verse of the year for 2025, Psalm 23:1 immediately came to mind:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

“That can’t be it,” I thought.  But then, the more I prayed, the more it sank into my spirit, and the more I knew my word for the year: want.  In the original Hebrew, “haser” means to cause to lack, withhold.[1]  God will provide all my needs; I will lack nothing. The Lord wants me to work on relying on Him more and on myself less in 2025. Meditating on these nine words will help me remember God’s promise.

And I do need reminding that God never leaves nor forsakes me.  When life happens, I must put myself in the backseat and let the Savior take the lead, but often I don’t.  Only when chaos erupts do I remember to seek the Lord.  He always answers, but how much better would things go if I called on Him first, not last?

God commands us to “be strong and courageous.”  We must rely on Him to guide our paths, not ourselves.  Remembering the Lord’s presence helps us to live boldly for Christ, knowing He never leaves our side.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your never-ending presence in our lives.  Give us verses to meditate on that will draw us closer to You and remind us of Your presence.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1]https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2023%3A1&version=NIV&tab=interlinear

One-minute read.

Preparing to cross the Jordan River, Moses encourages the Israelites.  Because of his disobedience, God forbade Moses from entering the promised land.  When the Lord told Moses to speak to a rock, bringing water from it, the leader disobeyed, striking the rock instead.  And just like that, Moses lost his ticket to the promised land.

The Lord promises never to leave nor forsake us, but we must obey God to receive the promise.  Often, we leave the Savior; He never leaves us. Everyone does it; we get caught up in our lives and rush ahead of the Lord, not including Him in our plans or blatantly disobeying His commands.

When we don’t forgive or ignore the needs of others, we disobey the Lord.  Worshipping anything, more than God goes against His commands. Moses struck a rock instead of speaking to it and missed the Lord’s blessing. Disobeying God causes us to miss His gifts for us.  The Lord doesn’t bless disobedience, but He does bless loyalty.

The closer we cling to the Savior, the more we will experience the richness of His blessings.  Living abundantly with Christ requires obedience, but our rewards far outweigh anything.  Live for Jesus, experience His presence in your life, and praise Him for guiding and protecting us.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for guiding, directing, and giving us commandments. Help us cling to You as we go through our days, blessing our loyalty as we strive to live obediently for You.

IJNIP. Amen