Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34, Romans 4:13-5:5, Psalm 14:1-7, Proverbs 19:17

Daily Verse: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Prov. 19:17

Generous living.

“You can’t out give God,” I say every time Ron and I discuss giving. He’s heard the saying so many times; Ron often says it for me. When I started tithing in my late 20’s, I began trying to outgive God, and haven’t succeeded yet.

My business partner works with the homeless at a local church. Of all the things I donate, they love reading glasses the most. Whenever I give, she tells me how much they loved whatever I sent. Shoes, underwear, and t-shirts always have the highest demand.

God’s rewards come in various ways. After paying the bills from my recent hospital stay, Ron and I thank God for insurance and good health. Praise the Lord for healthy bodies that allow us to serve Him.

Happiness doesn’t come on a dollar bill. True joy comes from serving the Lord and putting into practice His commands. The rewards we enjoy for living a generous life have more value than money. Once we start counting the blessings, we’ll find the list never ends.

Lord, thank You for our blessings. Let Your gifts pour through us to those around us. Give us hearts to live generous lives, helping those in need when we see them. Help us give freely and without reserve. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11, Romans 4:1-12, Psalm 13:1-6, Proverbs 19:15-16

Daily Verse: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” Prov. 19:15

Wasted time.

Signifying lethargy, slothfulness wastes time and loses money. In Hebrew, the word means complete inactivity. Instead of providing for themselves and their family, slothful people sleep.

Laziness drives me crazy. Working in one of my larger stores during my retail days, I had the entire department torn apart. Merchandise stacked around fixtures, waiting for placement, described the work ahead of me.

“I hate it when there’s nothing to do,” the young associate working the department said to me.

My mind raged; you can’t see one thing to do in this merchandise nightmare. She stood at the register the entire time, not once offering to help me—one of my most memorable ten-hour days, working with a slothful person who had no motivation.

Laziness doesn’t provide anything for anyone, but hard work has many rewards and fulfills your basic needs.

Lord, forgive us for our laziness. Thank You for the ability to work and the provision that comes from it. Motivate us to work hard, reaping the wards from it as we provide for ourselves and our families. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading:

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32 Romans 3:9-31 Psalm 12:1-8 Proverbs 19:13-14

Daily Verse: “House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Prov. 19:14

Special gift.

At the center of a good marriage, you will find God. Scripture calls prudent wives a special gift from the Lord. When I think of the best spouses in scripture, my mind always goes to Ruth.

Moving to a foreign land, widowed and penniless, Ruth followed God because of her mother-in-law’s influence. Once in Bethlehem, Ruth worked hard to provide for them. Gathering leftover wheat stocks, she toiled in the hot sun from morning to night during harvest. And she gained the attention of Boaz, the field’s owner and a kinsmen redeemer.

Boaz notices Ruth’s integrity and noble character. As a kinsmen redeemer, a distant relative to her husband, the prosperous farmer had a responsibility to marry Ruth, redeeming her from the life of widowhood. Their love story remains one of my favorites.

God gave Boaz a special gift when He brought Ruth into his life. Together, they produced Obed, father of Jesse and grandfather to King David. Jesus’s direct descendent, a wife of noble character, exemplifies a prudent wife, a special gift from God.

Lord, thank You for the example Ruth sets for us. Help us become more like her, prudent wives to our husbands. Let our special gifts bless our spouses and marriages as we center our lives on You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30, Romans 2:25-3:8, Psalm 11:1-7, Proverbs 19:10-12

Daily Verse: “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Prov. 19:11

Nature of patience.

Overlooking offenses takes work. When someone wounds us, letting it go means making a conscious decision not to demand payment, pray for that person and ask God to bless them. Wisdom leads the way in not taking offense.

“Take no offense” is my three-word prayer for when I feel the sting of someone else’s actions. “You don’t know what’s going on in their life. Hurting people hurt people.” My inner dialogue to let go of offenses continues. Coaching myself helps me overlook offenses. 

Wisdom yields patience by helping us control our emotions and not responding immediately to the offense. Instead of striking back, wisdom takes the time to pray and seek Godly direction before responding.   Including God in the conversation always leads to a different outcome than our fleshly desires.   Lord’s insight guides us to patient wisdom.

Without offense, we can’t practice God’s grace. Doing something repeatedly helps us become better at it. As long as we live on Earth, we will encounter offenses, but we can choose how we respond. Let Godly wisdom lead the way.

Lord, forgive our rash responses. Help us overlook offenses with patient wisdom. Give us an extra measure of grace for those who cause us pain. Let us become more like Jesus as we practice responding like Him. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17, Romans 2:1-24, Psalm 10:16-18, Proverbs 19:8-9

Daily Verse: “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.” Prov. 19:9

Will perish.

Telling lies causes punishment, and whoever pours them out will perish. False tales don’t pass the test of time. Truth always reveals itself, and the lies fall away.

Spending the first twelve years of my life in a small community taught me this lesson. I always got caught, no matter what the crime. Everyone knew my parents, and so when little Bethie strayed off the straight and narrow, someone inevitably turned me into Mom or Dad.

Liars will get their just rewards. God knows everything, especially the lies we tell. We can’t fool the Lord or anyone else; eventually, our false tales will get exposed, ruining our reputations and causing consequences we won’t want to endure.

Strive to tell the truth. Set an example for the fallen word. Value integrity and reap the rewards of honest living. The good thing about telling the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. But when you spin tall tales, you must keep track of who you said what, which eventually will lead to your demise.

Lord, forgive us for lying. Give us the strength and courage, to tell the truth always. Let the Holy Spirit guide and direct our words, helping us become more like Christ, who came to tell the truth. In all things, may You receive the honor and glory. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36, Romans 1:18-32, Psalm 10:1-15, Proverbs 19:6-7

Daily Verse: “Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.” Prov. 19:6

Influential friendships.

In the same vein as yesterday’s devotional, people seek influential friendships for what they can gain. Gift givers, especially in business and politics, gain allies to achieve their goals.

During my days as a Merchandise Coordinator for Nautica, we gave things away, especially in the early days. Water bottles, notepads, free merchandise, floating key chains, on and on the list went. Associates loved to see me coming when I had gifts in hand. One of my favorites, a striped tote bag, I still carry. Not only did others receive treats, but so did I.  One of the many reasons I loved working for Nautica.

Generosity receives favor. People want to do things for those who reward their efforts. Feeling appreciated motivates people. In my sixteen years at Nautica, they never stopped showing appreciation for my work.

Reward people’s efforts with gifts that show appreciation, and you will develop loyal friendships. People seek friendships with those who give gifts.

Lord, no one gives better gifts than You.  Thank You for showering us with blessings; let us seek You first before anyone else. Help us share what You give freely with those around us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17, Romans 1:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 19:4-5

Daily Verse: “Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.” Prov. 19:4

Effects of wealth.

People chase after others who they think have wealth, hoping to gain something from them. However, people avoid the poor, afraid they might want something from them.

Relationships built on status don’t last; money comes and goes as quickly as the wind. The stock market booms one day and crashes the next. People who place their security in wealth don’t have a foundation they can trust.

“Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Prov. 22:2

Don’t chase after people with wealth; pursue God, and you will find a firm foundation. Looks deceive. In “The Millionaire Next Door,” the authors describe them as people who don’t wear fancy clothes, drive older cars, and don’t spend every dime they make. Looking at them, you wouldn’t imagine the wealth they possess. Flashy cars and big houses often mean large debt and little savings.

Don’t chase wealth; chase Jesus. In Him, you will find a firm foundation that survives whatever storm comes your way.

Lord, forgive our greed. Help us become content and not look for security in the mighty dollar. Let us honor and serve You in all things.  Let our finances reflect our relationship with You and the firm foundation You provide. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18, Acts 28:1-31. Psalm 9:1-12. Proverbs 19:1-3

Daily Verse: “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.” Prov. 19:3

Blaming God.

Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, fools blame God. Free will means we can do anything we want, a gift the Lord gave us. For instance, we can choose whether to act with love or hate. No one can make us do one or the other.

Every morning, I choose to love Ron. Folding his laundry always forces the issue, as irritation rises because he doesn’t notice I do it, just enjoying the result of clean clothes in his closet. But then I remind myself of everything he does for me, so I keep folding as an act of love and appreciation for my husband.

But say I decided not to fold his clothes and let the dirty laundry pile up. Eventually, Ron would notice, and an argument would erupt, causing a relational rift as hubby reminds me of all he does for us. 

A fool would blame God for the problem. Instead of taking responsibility for my part in the argument, I blame God for not making Ron more understanding or appreciative of me. But I caused the problem because of my choice.

Actions have consequences. Learning to take responsibility for our choices takes work. Blaming God for our foolishness doesn’t end well. The Lord gave us free will; use it wisely.

Lord, forgive us for blaming You for our actions. Help us take responsibility for our decisions and learn from them. Let our efforts honor You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14, Acts 27:21-44, Psalm 8:1-9, Proverbs 18:23-24

Daily Verse: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Prov. 18:24

Loyal friendship.

One reliable and trustworthy friend has more value than a billion acquaintances. Just because you know many people doesn’t mean they will go the distance when things get tough. Surface friendships only use people to meet their needs; true friends put others first.

When life takes you into the valley, it weeds out your friends. True friends walk through the bad times with you; surface relationships scatter like seeds in the wind. Don’t waste time worrying about the people who only care about themselves. 

Reliable friends stick closer than a brother. Think of the people you could call at 2:00 a.m. that would answer the phone and help you in your time of need. Invest in those relationships, centering on them God, and building a support system that works both ways. A cord of three strands doesn’t break.

We need friends, ones we can rely upon during the storms of life. You possess a rare treasure if you have one friend who sticks closer than a brother. Become the type of friend you want, and invest in life-giving relationships that support you.

Lord, forgive us for spending too much time in surface relationships. Help us develop deeper relationships with others as we pursue You.  Show us the path we should take that leads to a life lived fully with others on the same journey. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40, Acts 27:1-20, Psalm 7:1-17, Proverbs 18:22

Daily Verse: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Prov. 18:22

Gift from God.

Finding a suitable mate, particularly a wife, brings God’s favor. My sister-in-law told me long before I met my husband, “You’ll make a good wife.”

I didn’t understand why she said that at the time. Proverbs 31:10-31 titled “The Wife of Noble Character,” hung framed beside my bed for years. I read the verses every morning and asked God to mold me into her. 

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” Prov. 31:10-11

The following 19 verses describe the characteristics of a wife of noble character. As I go about my days, rising early, working hard, and becoming a Godly wife to Ron, I think of different verses, praying them into our lives.

Read over the description of the wife of a noble character. Delight in God’s word and let it take root in your heart.

Lord, thank You for giving us scripture to guide and direct us. Help us become wives of noble character. Let husbands receive the Lord’s favor because of the wife they chose. Give us the tools to make our marriages honor You in all ways. IJNIP. Amen