Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 19:1-21:17, Galatians 2:1-16, Psalm 59:1-17, Proverbs 23:13-14

Daily Verse: “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.” Prov. 23:13

Necessary discipline.

Children need discipline, a controversial topic in our world today. A recent meme on Facebook illustrates the difference between my childhood and today’s generation:

“Some of y’all come from the ‘If you quit crying, I’ll buy you something’ generation. We came from the ‘If you don’t quit crying, I will give you something to cry about’ generation.”

How many times I heard my mother say, “I’ll give you something to cry about,” I don’t know. But I can tell you her tactics worked. My mother never abused me, but a swift smack to the rear didn’t kill me and helped me learn the lesson. And I didn’t get that many paddlings because after experiencing one, I didn’t want another. The mere threat of one straightened me out.

As always, I pray for parents dealing with discipline in today’s world. No one should abuse their children. Parents have the difficult task of disciplining their kids in an effective manner that promotes learning and growth. God help them honor You in their efforts to raise the children given to them.

Lord, thank You for the children You’ve given us. Please help parents navigate the controversial topic of discipline well. Guide and direct guardians to find effective ways of teaching their wards and helping them become responsible adults. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 15:1-18:7, Galatians 1:1-24, Psalm 58:1-11, Proverbs 23:12

Daily Verse: “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” Prov. 23:12

Listen well.

In the olden days, long before modern technology, people couldn’t access Bibles. Scrolls held the scriptures. People listened to religious leaders read from the rolled pieces of paper; the better they listened, the more they learned.

You will find me in church on Sunday mornings, listening to the pastor and scribbling notes in my Love Like Jesus journal. Writing down key points helps me remember and adapt them to my life. I learn valuable lessons each week that help me become more like Jesus.

Reading the Bible helps us discover wisdom, and so does listening to it. One of my mentors loves to take long walks and listen to scripture, allowing it to permeate her soul.   YouVersion makes listening to God’s word easy and accessible.

Wisdom comes in many ways; don’t underestimate the value of listening. Take notes, tune into God’s word, listen well, and acquire knowledge. Apply your heart to instruction and become more like Jesus one day at a time.

Lord, forgive us for not paying attention and listening well. Help us focus our minds and ears, listening well to Your word and those teaching it. As we hear Your instructions, let us apply them to our lives and become more like Jesus. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 12:1-14:32, 2 Cor. 13:1-14, Psalm 57:1-11, Proverbs 23:9-11

Daily Verse: “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.” Prov. 23:9

Waste of Time

Trying to help someone who doesn’t want it does no good. Fools reject discipline and instruction, thinking they know better or not respecting the teacher, scorning them.

When teaching tennis, one of my students asked me to help him with his serve. Since he started playing matches, my pupil realized the importance of a consistent and powerful serve.

Smiling to myself, I thought, “It’s about time.”

I tried to improve the student’s serve with basic pointers for years, but he wouldn’t listen. Because the kid didn’t have match experience, my words fell on deaf ears. Eventually, I gave up trying, understanding giving him tips wasted my breath, instead focusing on students who wanted to learn. He became teachable once he realized the importance of the serve in a game situation.

Focus on people who want to hear what you have to say. Don’t waste your breath on unteachable people. Instead, pray for them and ask the Lord to help them become teachable.

Lord, forgive us for rejecting discipline and instruction. Help us always remain teachable and give us the wisdom to discern those who want to learn and grow in our lives. Let us choose our words wisely and not waste them on fools. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 10:1-11:16, 2 Cor. 12:11-21, Psalm 56:1-13, Proverbs 23:6-8

Daily Verse: “Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies,” Prov. 23:6

Avoid stingy hospitality.

People who grudgingly show hospitality towards others make the evening unpleasant. Instead of wanting you to enjoy their offerings, they feel resentment.

“Look how much they’re eating! Save some for someone else,” a friend told me years ago at a social gathering at her home. “They don’t even appreciate the hard work I did preparing it.”  Not saying a word, I walked away; understanding words would do no good.

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7

God doesn’t want us to give grudgingly but with a cheerful heart. If entertaining people irritate you, then don’t entertain them. And don’t eat the bread of someone who has a stingy heart.

Everything we have comes from the Lord and will perish one day. Hold things loosely, and share God’s blessings freely with others. Extending hospitality willingly to others glorifies our Maker and shines light into a dark world.

Lord, forgive us for stingy hearts. Give us opportunities to share Your blessings with others freely and with cheerful hearts. Help us shine Your light into the world around us, one act of love at a time. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 8:1-9:21, 2 Cor. 12:1-10, Psalm 55:1-23, Proverbs 23:4-5

Daily Verse: “Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.” Prov. 23:4

Fleeting wealth.

Solomon warns us not to wear ourselves out acquiring wealth because it disappears quickly. A bird flying off symbolized fleeting wealth in the ancient world; becoming a slave to money steals the joy out of life.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much, disown you, and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Prov. 30:8-9

Living a contented life means learning to live with enough. If we have too much wealth, we may forget Who provided it for us, turning away from the Lord. Too little money, and we may do something to dishonor God. Satisfaction with what the Lord offers leads us to a contented life. We don’t need everything; we need enough. And in America, we have more than enough.

Focus on what you do have instead of what you don’t have, and you will find peace. Developing an attitude of gratitude leads to a contented life.

Lord, forgive us for wearing ourselves out for the things of this world that won’t last. Help us develop attitudes of gratitude as we focus on the blessings that abound in our lives. Let us live joyfully for You! IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7:25, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Psalm 54:1-7, Proverbs 23:1-3

Daily Verse: “Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.” Prov. 23:3

Don’t overindulge.

Proverbs 23 starts with a warning about overeating the ruler’s food because it may sabotage your chances for advancement. Remembering that everyone has ulterior motives helps curb my appetite. People don’t generally do things without expecting something in return. Human nature exposed.

Oliver Anthony, the YouTube sensation who turned down an 8-million-dollar contract, continues to grow in popularity because he refuses to overindulge in the ruler’s food. His song, “Rich Men North of Richmond,” says it all.

Overindulging in the lies told through the media will impact lives. Understanding a handful of companies control the message allows us to become discerning about what we ingest. Fact-checking and not believing everything we hear will help us find truth in today’s world.

Whether food or media, overindulging hurts our lives. Living a life of moderation applies to all areas, not just the dinner table.  

Lord, forgive us for overindulging in the ruler’s delicacies. Help us apply moderation to our lives in all areas, not letting anyone exploit our naivete. In all things, let us put You first, following You in all Your ways. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 3:1-5:30, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, Psalm 53:1-6 Proverbs 22:28-29

Daily Verse: “Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.” Prov. 22:28

Sacred boundaries.

Removing boundaries set by God caused problems in ancient times, violating sacred inheritances. People often tried to gain more land by infringing on another’s property. The Lord wants the ancient traditions preserved, not moved.

As a crafter, I rent a space from a local retailer to sell my wares. Each vendor has a designated amount of square footage to occupy. People often try to take some of their neighbor’s space, especially if they have an empty spot. Protecting my boundaries means keeping my area full and ensuring my neighbors don’t encroach on my territory.

Testing the limits, no matter what the boundaries, occurs naturally with humans. We always want more, not satisfied with what God gives us. Respecting boundaries and trusting the Lord’s provision will help us live contented lives.

Don’t cross the boundaries God sets for you. Ask the Lord to expand your territory instead of trying to do it yourself.

Lord, forgive us for encroaching on someone else’s physical or emotional boundary. Help us to respect other’s lines in the sand and trust You to expand our territories. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Isaiah 1:1-2:22, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18, Psalm 52:1-9,

Proverbs 22:26-27

Daily Verse: “Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.” Prov. 22:26

Foolish pledge.

Making financial commitments, you can’t keep leads to ruin. The housing bubble of 2008 exemplifies what happens with unkept pledges. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offered loans to people with low credit scores and a higher risk of defaulting on loans.

The lenders then sold the loans to large commercial investors bundled together as mortgage-backed securities. In the fall of 2008, people began defaulting on their loans, causing a collapse of financial markets and a global recession.

Americans began using credit cards in the 1950s, but exploded in 1980, becoming a natural way of life. As a country, we went from saving to spending on credit, contributing to the financial crisis of 2008.

The U.S. consumer debt level recently passed 1 trillion dollars because of inflation and high-interest rates, leading to another financial crisis.

Avoiding financial stress happens when we manage money instead of letting it control us.

Lord, forgive us for overspending. Please help us learn wise money management tools that will allow us to live debt-free, save money, and sleep well at night, knowing we didn’t make pledges we couldn’t keep. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Song of Sol. 5:1-8:14, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 22:24-25

Daily Verse: “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” Prov. 22:24-25

Bad influence.

Unrestrained anger causes pain and sets a bad example for those who witness it. Everyone experiences anger sometimes; how we respond to it tells the tale. 

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27

 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians instructs us not to sin in our anger. As I have confessed, I’ve sinned and paid the price for my anger. Fear hides behind the rage. When anger rears its ugly head, looking for the fear behind the bomb helps diffuse it.

I’ve learned a lot of the fear behind my anger comes from deep seeded insecurities I didn’t realize I had. Feelings of low self-worth cause anger in certain situations. Digging down to find the root cause takes work, but in the end, it helps me overcome anger issues and live a more controlled life, setting a better example for others.

Work to identify the root cause of anger in your life. Don’t let Satan get a foothold. Defeat the devil by becoming more self-aware.

Lord, forgive us for sinning in our anger. Help us become more self-aware of the root causes of our anger by digging deep and identifying the fear. Don’t let the devil get a foothold in our lives. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Song of Sol. 1:1-4:16, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, Psalm 50:1-23, Proverbs 22;22-23

Daily Verse: “Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.” Prov. 22:22-23

God avenges.

Oppressing the poor and taking advantage of them angers God. One of the most heartbreaking documentaries I’ve watched details the beginning of the Opioid crisis because of one family’s greed. 

“Painkiller” fictionalizes certain names and incidents but tells the true story of Purdue Pharmaceuticals and Richard Sackler, who knew the consequences of the addictive drug, Oxycontin but cared only for the money he could make from selling it.

Having lost more than one person due to overdose, the reality hits close to home. Sackler’s reps targeted small-town America, convincing doctors of the drug’s effectiveness without sharing the highly addictive nature of the pill. 

Purdue filed for bankruptcy in 2019 after admitting it “knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to aid and abet” doctors dispensing medication “without a legitimate medical purpose.” (Plea Agreement with Purdue Pharma)

God exposes the truth, and those who willingly take advantage of the poor will pay. Sadly, the opioid crisis didn’t end with the downfall of the Sacklers. I pray fervently for those tangled in addiction caused by this family’s greed.

Lord, please help those struggling with addiction overcome it and find new life in You.  Protect them from further exposure and lead them into a life of sobriety.  Let Your victory prevail in the fight against drug addiction.  IJNIP. Amen