Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81, Acts 26:1-32, Psalm 6:1-10, Proverbs 18:20-21

Daily Verse: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Prov. 18:21

Consequences of speech.

We pay the price for the words that come from our mouths. Before we speak, we must first think about it. What occupies our minds determines our outlook on life. We either say uplifting and encouraging words or negative, life-sucking ones. God gave us the ability to choose which path we will take.

Visiting friends for the weekend, we played Pickleball. Before we went, my girlfriend told me all her shortcomings with the game. Imagine my surprise when her play didn’t reflect her words; expecting someone who couldn’t hit the ball, she played well.

Afterward, she asked me for feedback from my coach’s perspective.

“Stop telling yourself you’re bad. You tell everyone you’re the weakest player on the court, defeating yourself before you even begin. You never lose; you either win or learn.”

Her words led to her downfall. Changing her attitude and thoughts changes her perspective and leads to life.

Think about your language. Do you use words that give life or lead to death?

Lord, forgive us for using harmful speech that leads to death. Help us recognize our life-stealing thoughts and replace them with uplifting and encouraging words. Let us give life with our speech, helping others do the same. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17, Acts 25:1-27, Psalm 5:1-12, Proverbs 18:19

Daily Verse: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.” Prov. 18:19

Effects of disputes.

Conflicts ruin relationships. People become offended, and a friend becomes an enemy as a result. Often, an unrealistic or unexpressed expectation causes separation.

For instance, I expect people to tell the truth and act with integrity, an expectation I have in relationships. But other people don’t value truth or have the same expectation. Therefore, having a relationship becomes difficult because no trust exists.

God has clear expectations of how we should live and operate. People who disagree with the Lord’s directions and openly defy Him become His enemy. We can’t force people to live up to our expectations, nor can God. Free will allows us to live our lives any way we want.

Not everyone wants to walk the same path. God gave us the ability to choose which way we want to go. Some people will head in the opposite direction of what we would like, and we have no choice but to let them go.

Lord, help us accept and love people, even when at odds. Give us soft hearts; let us not take offense when people don’t meet our expectations, but instead, learn to love those we disagree with in our lives. Help us honor You well today and always. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4, Acts 24:1-27, Psalm 4:1-8,, Proverbs 18:16-18

Daily Verse: “The one who states his case first seems right until the other comes and examines him.” Prov. 18:17

Different perspectives.

When you listen to someone give their side in a dispute, it seems logical and correct. However, every story has three perspectives: theirs, ours, and the truth. If you don’t know both sides of the story, you can’t find the truth, which lies somewhere in the middle.

Because we live in a world of narratives, the truth has become more challenging to find. Not only do people tell false tells, but they believe them. God knows we lie to ourselves more than we do anyone else.

For instance, my husband’s working to resolve one of my hospital bills. Insurance said they paid it; the hospital says they haven’t. When Ron called our insurance company, they initiated a conference call with the hospital to resolve the issue by hearing both sides of the story and, in the process, discovering the truth.

Resolving disputes requires cross-examination, listening to both sides of the story, and focusing on the truth. Healthy communication allows us to resolve issues quickly by understanding each other’s perspectives and finding the truth.

Lord, thank You for helping us resolve conflicts with good communication. Lead us in the way of truth as we strive to listen to all sides of the story and not jump to conclusions without sufficient information. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:17, Acts 23:11-35, Psalm 3:1-8, Proverbs 18:14-15

Daily Verse: “A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” Prov. 18:14

Healthy spirit.

Depression sucks the life out of a person, and they may not realize their suffering from it.  After my hospital stay in the spring of 2023, I suffered from depression; my husband pointed it out to me.

Having an unexpected, life-threatening issue and surgery traumatized me.  I went from teaching a tennis lesson to lying in a hospital bed for four days.  Once the doctor removed the blood clot and I recovered, I felt fine.  But my mind couldn’t keep up with my body’s trauma, and I sunk into a depression as I struggled with mortality and the fragility of life.

My spirit needed time to process the events, and when Ron pointed out my depression, through therapy and medication, I worked through it. 

The National Institute of Health estimates that 21 million adults struggle with depression.  Get help; you can overcome depression with proper care.  God wants us to live life to the fullest, giving us the tools to do so.

Revitalize your spirit through God’s word.  Seek professional help if necessary.  Develop a healthy spirit by seeking help if needed.

Lord, I pray for those struggling with depression today.  Help them find assistance for their crushed spirits.  Lead them on the path of healing as they follow You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 23:31-25:30, Acts 22:17-23:10, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 18:13

Daily Verse: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” Prov. 18:13

Poor listening.

Marriage helped me become a better listener. Ron has taught me that I don’t know people’s thoughts, and to learn them, I must listen. For so many years, I didn’t listen well, thinking I knew what the person would say, cutting them off and interjecting my thoughts, total self-absorption.

“Poor listening reveals that the person has a low regard for what the other is saying or is too absorbed in self-importance.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

Mike and Lynda Cooke taught me listening skills, marriage mentors to us. Using a napkin, whoever holds it gets to talk, and the other person must listen to every word without interrupting. 

Listening well takes work. Repeat back to the person what they just said to make sure you understand them before responding. Practice listening and not assuming you know. People will surprise you with their words, and you will become a better listener.

Respect people by listening to them and understanding their point of view before trying to convey yours.

Lord, forgive us for not listening to others well and assuming we know their thoughts. Help us become better listeners as we practice listening and develop the skill. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 22:3-23:30, Acts 21:37-22:16, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 18:11-12

Daily Verse: “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Prov. 18:12

Reward of humility.

As a prideful person, humility takes work for me. My latest struggle with pride came over an issue with my crafting business. My inventory requires me to move up to a larger space and pay more rent. However, the communication in telling me this information didn’t go well. My anger began to rise; my old nature started to rear its angry head, and my pride flared into action.

But then I realized that getting angry and acting childish did no good. Thinking of a friend’s daughter who went through a similar situation and her humility inspired me to rethink my actions. I want to build good relationships and represent Christ well, not give the devil a foothold.

So, I humbled myself and sent an apologetic email, looking at it from their perspective and thanking them for doing their best to help me. Instead of creating tension, humility paved the way for peace. I didn’t get what I wanted, but I trust God to pave the way for something even better.

Pride destroys, humility builds.

Lord, forgive us when we let pride lead the way. Please keep us humble, treating others as Jesus would, with grace and mercy. Let us become more like Christ as we pursue Him daily. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2, Acts 21:18-36, Psalm 150:1-6, Proverbs 18:9-10

Daily Verse: “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” Prov. 19:9

Destructive laziness.

People who intentionally cause destruction and lazy people get classified together in today’s verse.  Slack workers don’t do the best job and may make things that fall apart, causing destruction.  Lazy people destroy indirectly but still cause destruction.

When we first moved into our home, it had a beautiful floor made of wood and laminate.  Unfortunately, whoever installed the floor didn’t do a good job; they installed the black padding underneath upside down.  As a result, black marks appeared on the floor any time water spilled on the floor, like from our dishwasher.  Water from our shoes and around the doors caused the floor to blacken.  Eventually, we had to replace the entire floor because someone didn’t do the job correctly.

Laziness destroys.  God tells us to work as if unto Him.  Whatever task lies before us, we should do it to the best of our ability, honoring the Lord with our efforts.

Don’t link yourself with people who destroy.  Work hard and do your best.  God will bless your efforts.

Lord, forgive our laziness.  Help us do whatever task You assign us to the best of our ability.  Let our work honor You as we try to serve You well.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37. Acts 21:1-17, Psalm 149:1-9, Proverbs 18:8

Daily Verse: “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” Prov. 18:8

Choice morsels.

Listening to tidbits of delicious, ill-gotten information about someone else doesn’t please the Lord. I remember how quickly stories flew up and down the East Coast during my flight attendant days. We would land in Charlotte, someone on the crew would learn a juicy morsel, and by the time we landed in D.C., it had spread like wildfire throughout the entire company.

But God doesn’t want us spreading gossip or misinformation that harms another person. Instead, when we hear something that qualifies as gossip, we should stop it.

One of the most harmful experiences I had with gossip happened at church. A convicted felon, awaiting appeal, attending church on probation became the center of the hurtful words. Everyone talked behind the person’s back. While the individual thought no one knew, everyone did. Eventually, the truth came out, and much harm occurred.

Gossip hurts the person and the people doing it. Don’t engage; stop others when they try to tell you something. And do your best to avoid the vicious circle of gossip.

Lord, forgive us for gossiping. Please help us do better by avoiding vicious rumors and stopping people from telling us things we don’t need to know. Let us speak uplifting and encouraging words only. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 17:1-18:12, Acts 20:1-38, Psalm 148:1-14, Proverbs 18:6-7

Daily Verse: “A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.” Prov. 18:6

Inviting trouble.

Traveling to New York for work, I took the train from Washington D.C. to Manhattan. Standing in line at the post office while waiting for my train, a lady tried to draw me into a fight. Watching her argue with the postmaster, she turned and saw me looking at her.

“Whatcha looking at?” She said, her tone angry.

“Nothing, just waiting in line,” I responded, looking away, not wanting to engage. With an angry “Umphh,” she returned to the employee and left me alone.

Some people go looking for fights and enjoy them. Not me. I refrain from engaging in ineffective communication. That lady didn’t do herself any favors or get what she wanted. But she did get to argue with the postmaster.

“People don’t like being around sour pusses.” A friend said while golfing. I agree wholeheartedly. Don’t go looking for fights. Guard your mouth and maintain peace with your words.

If you go looking for trouble, you will find it.

Lord, forgive us for starting fights with our words. Please help us guard our mouths and speak only uplifting and engaging talk. Let us avoid conflict and promote peace with our language. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Kings 15:1-16:20, Acts 19:13-41, Psalm 147:1-20, Proverbs 18:4-5

Daily Verse: “It is not good to be partial to the wicked  or to deprive the righteous of justice.” Prov. 18:5

Partiality in judgment.

“You stand on your principles,” my sister told me years ago. At the time, I thought it an odd statement, but since she’s passed, I think of her words often. Standing on my principles seemed to cause me more harm than good, mainly because I struggle with grace.

But age helps me become more graceful as I understand it better. We can still stand on our principles but show grace to those who struggle. Some people don’t know Biblical principles, so we can’t expect them to live by them if they don’t know them.

Therefore, showing partiality in judgment doesn’t set a good example. Letting people get away with things doesn’t help them grow. Instead, we can create teachable moments to address sin and teach the principle with love.

Helping people become their best version takes time, effort, and much grace. But if people didn’t show me grace and teach me lessons, I wouldn’t grow. We can do the same for others.

Don’t compromise your principles; instead, teach with grace.

Lord, thankfully, You don’t compromise on principles but teach us with love. Help us do the same with those in our lives, not compromising but leading with love and grace. Lord, let us become the best version of ourselves and help others do the same. IJNIP.