Author: Beth Morrison

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

One-minute read.

Nothing people can do compares to what the Lord can do.  Fearing God means having a healthy respect for His sovereignty.  The Creator can and will do whatever He wants.  People who deny His existence and turn their back on God’s presence will experience the consequences.  Having just finished a study of Revelation, those who choose to separate themselves from their Maker have a bleak future ahead.

Humility leads to a relationship with the Savior. One must admit they don’t know everything or have all the answers to life’s difficult questions. Pride keeps us from submitting our will to the Lord. Wanting to do everything in our way and time, waiting for God’s guidance puts a crick in things. But we must bow to the Lord’s authority to receive the blessings He offers.

My heart aches for those who don’t fear God and give Him the proper respect He deserves.  Not only do they miss out on the Lord’s blessings in this world, but they miss the glory that awaits them in the next.   Put God first in Your life, submit to Him, and receive abundant life, now and to come.  Don’t fear people; fear life without the Savior.  The enemy wants you to believe you don’t need God or that He exists; don’t fall for his lies.

Give the Lord the rightful place in your life, above all others, worship Him.  Allow Jesus to direct Your paths, following Him closely to your eternal home.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for sending Jesus to save us.  Please help us keep our priorities straight, with Him leading our lives.  Give eyes to see and ears to hear to those who believe the devil’s lies.  Let them come to You and find the saving grace offered.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

David credits the Lord with rescuing him from the Philistines at Gath. The warrior wants others to know what God did for him so they can also seek divine strength. As we follow Jesus, experiencing His saving grace in myriad ways, our faith deepens. As we draw closer to the Lord, we want to share what we have found with others so they can experience it.

Life’s fragility becomes a stark reality when near-death experiences happen.  Taking care of my in-law’s property, we had to haul the riding lawn mower on a utility trailer.  One day, after finishing the mowing, in a rush to get home, I pulled the pin out of the trailer with the heavy tractor still on it.  The tongue of the cart flew up because of the unbalanced weight, barely missing me.  To this day, I praise God when I think of that moment, realizing He saved me from certain death.  And I learned my lesson about slowing down and listening to my husband.

David had a much more life-threatening experience escaping the Philistines.  The Lord’s deliverance made him joyful, and David wanted everyone to know what God did.  As do I when I think of the many times the Lord has protected me from my foolish actions.

When we cry out to the Creator, He answers.  In our fears, the Lord has a remedy, His peace that surpasses all understanding.  Face today confidently, knowing the Lord will answer Your call and rescue you from whatever dilemma you face.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for protecting us from ourselves, delivering us from our enemies, and answering our calls.  Please help us not forget Your presence as we face the day’s troubles.  Let us live abundantly in You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Confidence in God gives you unworldly peace.  Nowhere in scripture do you find promises of a trouble-free life, but you do find the Lord’s covenant not to leave us when challenges arise.  And everyone has problems, whether they look like they do or not.  We find the Creator’s peace when we focus on His goodness.

For Christmas, 37 years after graduation, I received a sweatshirt from my high school alma mater. When I first opened it, my stomach filled with dread at the memories of those difficult years. My Dad’s leg amputation, cancer, and death overshadow that period.  My girlfriend, who sent it to me, said, “You need a DuBois sweatshirt,” when I thanked her for the gift.

And her words changed my thoughts.  I gained a new perspective as I pondered the good that happened during those years.  Yes, bad things did happen, but so did many good things.  I met my lifelong friend Laura, who helped me find Jesus again.  I learned to play tennis and had my first job.  And the Lord never left my side through it all.

Focusing on Jesus allows us to access His peace, gain a new perspective, and give us hope as we persevere through life’s challenges. Eventually, the Lord will call us home, and we’ll live with Him forever, basking in His glory, today’s troubles gone forever.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for never leaving nor forsaking us and for giving us Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Help us keep our eyes on You today and always.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Have you ever felt so low you didn’t know how you would stand up? I have many times, and each time, the Lord lifts me up and helps me persevere.

When War Room[i] debuted in 2015, it profoundly affected my life.  Ron and I saw the movie at a local theater. The film tells the tale of an older lady who has a prayer closet where she goes to meet with the Lord.  Containing nothing but a wooden chair, she takes her Bible, gets on her knees, and goes to war with the Lord.  As the story unfolds, miracle after miracle happens, people’s lives change, and God’s victory rules.

Leaving the theater, I knew exactly how I would spend my evening.  Cleaning out the guest room closet, I made my war room and have met the Lord there ever since.  The days I’m on the floor and can’t get up stand out the most.  In my dismay, the Lord’s right hand lifts me to my feet and gives me the strength to carry on.  Today’s verse makes me think of the times my heavenly Father has held me tight, picked me up, and not let go.

He will do the same for You.  To receive the Lord’s assistance, we must seek it; when we do, we have nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for picking us up when we find ourselves in despair.  Please help us remember Your presence in our battles, allowing You to lead us to victory.  Let us hold on tight to Your right hand and never let it go.

IJNIP. Amen

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[i] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3832914/