Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezekiel 10:1-11:25, Hebrews 6:1-20, Psalm 105:16-36, Proverbs 27:1-2

Daily Verse: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Prov. 27:1

Uncertain future.

Life quickly teaches us its uncertainty. When my brother called to tell me my nephew had died, I didn’t expect the words I heard. When I saw his name on my phone, golf came to mind since we planned to play later that day. Never did I think for a minute my day would end at his house gathering to support them through the loss of Cody.

Battling anxiety has become a daily struggle for me. Leaning into God helps me win the battle through counseling, which helps me process the event and teaches me skills to stay present in the moment and not let my mind go down rabbit trails.

No one knows what the day will bring. As much as we would like to control life, we don’t. Trusting in God’s sovereignty helps us accept our circumstances and find the strength to weather the storms.

When a day goes as planned for me, I praise God because it rarely happens. Something always changes. Trusting the Lord amid life’s interruptions helps maintain the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Trust God when things don’t go as planned, stop trying to control, and practice submitting.

Lord, forgive us for thinking we know what will happen next. Please help us align our hearts with Your will, trusting what comes next has a purpose we may not understand. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezekiel 7:1-9:11, Hebrews 5:1-14, Psalm 105:1-15, Proverbs 26:28

Daily Verse: “A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” Prov. 26:28

Lying Tongues

Mouth trouble comes from lying tongues, and flattering lips both cause problems. People don’t exemplify love when they lie to you. Solomon says liars hate the people they tell false tales, showing no respect for the receiver. And over complimentary lips bring ruin.

People who use excess flattery always raise my suspicions. I believe in complimenting others and highlighting their positive traits, not blowing smoke up their butt. The phrase refers to puffing people up with false flatteries to build their egos, make them more attractive, and manipulate them.

Whether lying or flattering, both bring ruin to the speaker and sometimes the receiver. We will follow the wrong path if we fall for the devil’s lies. But if we stay focused on Jesus and sensitive to the Holy Spirit, God will give us discernment when processing the words people use.

Always consider the source when dealing with other people. Process their words through prayer. Trust God to reveal the truth to you.

Lord, forgive us for lying tongues and flattering mouths. Please help us always speak the truth in love; give us the wisdom and discernment to tell lies from the truth. In all things, let us honor and glorify You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezekiel 3:16-6:14, Hebrews 4:1-16, Psalm 104:24-35, Proverbs 26:27

Daily Verse: “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.” Prov. 26:27

Avoid pits.

“You made your bed; you lie in it,” Mom said, referring to today’s verse. Often, our pits in life come from holes we dug. Haman from the book of Esther exemplifies digging your pit.

Filled with self-esteem, Haman’s position as confident to the King bloated his ego. Convincing the King to issue a decree wiping out the Jews, Mordecai refused to bow to Haman’s authority. Esther’s uncle prioritized God over people and refused to worship any man. Long story short, Esther exposes Haman’s exploits, and his life ends on the pole he erected to kill Mordecai. Read Esther for the whole story.

Haman dug his pit with evil schemes. Consumed with self-worship, he didn’t think he could fall, the exact reason he failed. Ignoring wise counsel and following ego digs the pit one poor decision at a time. Each credit card swipe dug into my debt pit, which took years to climb the walls back to solid ground.

Don’t let bad decisions lead you to the bottom of the pit. Follow Jesus, and apply His teachings to your life—live in the shadow of the Savior.

Lord, forgive us for not following Your commands. Please protect us from our bad decisions. Give us the strength to apply Your teachings to our lives and experience the life change that comes from it. Help us become the people You created us to become. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15, Hebrews 3:1-19, Psalm 104:1-23, Proverbs 26:24-26

Daily Verse: “Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart;” Prov. 26:24

Charming words.

Slick talkers hide their emotions well. Watch a soap opera, and you will witness people concealing their hatred with flattering speech. Manipulators know how to use words to their advantage and easily deceive those they dislike into thinking they care.

Unfortunately, I have fallen for pretty words more times than I’d like to admit. People recognizing my naivete used it to their advantage, both men and women. Believing their manipulative words cost me much heartache and taught me lessons I’ve never forgotten.

When someone takes advantage of you with their words, learn the lesson and keep going. Don’t let them pull you down. One day, liars will stand before the Lord and answer for the lies they spread.

God exposes the truth. People who deceive with their lips will fall. Jesus came to give us life in abundance; the devil will do anything to keep us down. In Christ, we find victory and truth. Stick close to Christ, and He protects you from those who would deceive you.

Lord, protect us from those who would do us harm. Please help us identify lies when people tell them. Let us recognize the nudges from the Holy Spirit and not fall for false flattery and manipulative words. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Lamentations 4:1-5:22, Hebrews 2:1-18, Psalm 103:1-22, Proverbs 26:23

Daily Verse: “Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.” Prov. 26:23

Hypocritical speech.

Covering a clay jar with beautiful glaze makes it look dazzling, but underneath, it remains clay. In the same way, saying the right things makes one look good to others but covers an evil heart.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos, became a billionaire defrauding investors. Dropping out of Stanford during her sophomore year of college, she convinced wealthy friends to invest in her company, centered on developing a better and faster way to collect and test blood in the field. Now serving an eleven-year sentence in prison, having lost the company and money, you can watch Holmes’s story in the Hulu docuseries, “Drop Out.”

Holmes mastered the art of glazing a clay jar with her words. Young and ambitious, she did and said the right things to get what she wanted while knowing the product didn’t work. Smooth words covered an evil heart, and wise people fell for her ploys.

Following Jesus will help us find the path of truth. If the Holy Spirit nudges you when someone tells you something, take the time to find out why. Ask God for direction, and He will provide it.

Lord, forgive us for hypocritical speech. As we move through our days, let us become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction, following the nudges and not falling for deceptive words. Protect us from those who would do us harm. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Lamentations 3:1-66, Hebrews 1:1-14, Psalm 102:1-28, Proverbs 26:21-22

Daily Verse: “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” Prov. 26:22

Delicious morsels.

When we hear a juicy gossip, it can take root within us and begin a flame that turns into a quarrel. Wise people know to look at the intent behind the words and not take everything at face value. People gossiping usually do it with malicious intent and because someone else’s misery makes them feel better about themselves.

Sharing prayer requests about someone differs from gossiping. Praying for someone, especially when they can’t pray for themselves, helps them out of the valley. Gossiping drives them further down into the pit.

Become an advocate for others by stopping gossip in its tracks. One of the most sinuous forms of deceit, malicious talk spreads like wildfire, destroying lives and sometimes causing irreparable damage. Throw water on the flames by not engaging, confronting the gossiper, and stopping the quarrel.

Let the Lord’s light shine through you with your actions and words. Encourage and uplift people instead of tearing them down.

Lord, forgive us for taking part in gossip. Please give us the wisdom and discernment to recognize and stop malicious talk. Let our lights shine brightly for You with our words and actions. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Lamentations 1:1-2:22, Philemon 1:1-25, Psalm 101:1-8, Proverbs 26:20

Daily Verse: “For lack of wood, the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” Prov. 26:20

Restrict gossip.

As a nature girl, I love campfires. When we spent two weeks in the Shenandoah Valley this summer, I woke early every morning and started a fire. Sitting beside the blaze, reading my Bible, and writing devotionals highlighted the trip for me. I burned a bundle of wood each morning, and when the last log became ashes, the fire died. In the same way, quarreling dies down when we stop talking about gossip.

Don’t engage in the conversation the next time you stand beside the office water cooler and someone begins gossiping about a co-worker. When moms start talking about another mother, change the conversation. And when the next prayer meeting becomes a dish session, start praying.

Ending gossip prevents quarreling and unnecessary pain. No one wants people talking about them. If we want to treat others as ourselves, we won’t chat about them behind their backs. If you can’t say the words to someone, don’t say it about them.

Stop gossip and prevent quarreling.

Lord, forgive us for adding fuel to the fire. Next time the temptation to gossip faces us, help us walk away. Protect us from our human nature to engage in malicious speech. Help us become known for our integrity, not our gossip. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34,Titus 3:1-15, Psalm 100:1-5, Proverbs 26:18-19

Daily Verse: “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” Prov. 26:18-19

Deceptive speech.

Joking with someone has dangerous aspects. Done with mean intentions, deceiving someone out of jest can cause serious harm. Irresponsible words hurt people, although the jokester thinks it fun. God’s not against joking, but know your audience.

One night out with the girls, I shared a personal revelation about myself. As a child, I misinterpreted some of the things said to me and thought myself worthless. In other words, no one cared about what I had to say. Immediately after sharing, a friend joked, “And we don’t want to hear it now,” then started laughing.

She hurt me deeply. Sharing with the group took courage; her words reinforced the lie, causing me to stumble. Quickly, I realized deep conversations made her uncomfortable and let it go. But the moment stung.

Words carry so much weight; they change worlds. Uplifting and encouraging words cause people to blossom. Deceptive and mean words cause people to wither. Choose your words wisely and bring life to others.

Lord, forgive us our ill-spoken words that hurt others. Please help us use life-giving language all the time. Let our words build others up, not tear them down. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 51:1-53, Titus 2:1-15, Psalm 99:1-9, Proverbs 26:17

Daily Verse: “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” Prov. 26:17

Unwanted interference.

Meddling in someone else’s quarrel will get you bitten. Solomon uses the analogy of grabbing a dog’s ears. Not talking about Benji or Lassie, the most beloved dog stars of their day, Solomon’s referring to stray dogs like wild jackals.

During my brief time in El Salvador, one of my vivid memories contains dogs. Walking through the streets and working at the center, neglected, starved dogs lay everywhere. Sad eyes looked up at you in the broiling heat as they lay barely alive. The mistreatment of animals hurt my heart and left a lasting impression. But I knew not to mess with them.

If I had grabbed a dog by the ears, I probably would have contracted rabies from the bite. In the same way, getting into someone else’s business will get you hurt. Knowing when to engage and when to remain silent brings you peace.

Don’t get into other people’s business if they don’t ask for your help. Give others the respect to fight their battles as they wish.

Lord, thank You for these words of wisdom meant to protect us from unnecessary harm. Please help us know when to engage and when to stay quiet. Please give us the wisdom and discernment to see the difference. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus 1:1-16, Psalm 97:1-98:9, Proverbs 26:13-16

Daily Verse: “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” Prov. 26:16

Book of Sluggards.

Proverbs 26:13-16, referred to as the Book of Sluggards, exemplifies how lazy people use absurd excuses to get out of work. Lacking self-awareness, lazy people don’t consider themselves lazy, calling themselves realists, not shirkers.

Lazy people can find an excuse for anything. They consider their opinion superior and so don’t listen to sensible advice. Morning doesn’t work for sluggards because they dislike getting up. If lazy people don’t do anything, they won’t get hustled.

Like the parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30), when the master leaves money to each trusted servant, the lazy servant does nothing. As a result, the man who made the most money for his master also got the sluggard’s talent.

People who want to do something will find a way; sluggards find an excuse—forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do wastes your time. Lazy people will reap what they sew, just like the hard-working person.

Lord, forgive our laziness. Motivate us to work hard and serve You well. Give us the tools we need to accomplish the tasks You give us. Don’t let us miss anything You have for us. IJNIP. Amen