Author: Beth Morrison

One-minute read.

Righteousness and Peace

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness, and trust forever.

Isaiah 32:17

God promises to give us a life of righteousness and peace when we follow Him. The Lord wants to bless us, but when we live on our terms, not following God’s commands, we’ll experience hardship. Only when we seek guidance from the Creator can we stay on the right path, which leads to peace.

On vacation, Ron and I had lunch at a restaurant, ordering fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. Unfortunately, the kitchen server delivered them to the wrong table. By the time the waitress realized the mistake, the people at the table had already eaten some, so she comped them the appetizer and ordered us another one.

My flesh immediately got angry, and I stewed on the fact that we had to pay for ours, but they got one free. Preaching to myself, I told myself God can bless whoever He wants. And overreacting did no one any good, trying to bring me back into the Lord’s will, controlling my emotions and not saying anything. When the waitress brought our check, she also comped us the appetizer. Staying focused on God helped me maintain my response, not lash out in anger, and remain on the righteous path, leading to the Lord’s blessing and His peace.

Living a righteous life only happens when we apply God’s word to our lives, seek His wisdom, and discover His peace. Where our human desires will make us doubt our decisions, following the Lord will help us become sure of our walk.

Journaling Questions:

What does a righteous life look like to you?

How can you develop a closer walk with God today?

What area of your life do you feel out of alignment with God’s will?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for leading us along the path of righteousness. Help us become more confident in following Your guidance as we pursue a closer relationship with You.  Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the steps you want us to take today and every day.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

He Hears Us

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:14

Prayer builds our confidence in God, which helps us become sure of ourselves. Life with Christ assures us of our heavenly home in the future and His presence in our lives now. Talking to God connects us to Him in the moment. When we ask God for things, He hears us and answers according to His will.

Watch a child with their father. Kids know he hears them and answers when they ask Dad for something. The answer depends on the request. Like a child with an earthly father, we can confidently believe God will answer our prayers. We’ll get a positive response if the desire aligns with God’s will. But when we ask the Lord for something out of His will, He won’t grant the request. But we can count on an answer; often, we will wait for it, but the Lord always responds to us when we pray.

Faith in listening to God helps us become sure of ourselves and our path. The Lord wants us to ask and talk about everything in our lives. Prayer connects us to our Creator and gives us confidence in our purpose as we follow Him closely.

Journaling Questions:

How much do you talk to God?

What request have you hesitated to ask God to give you?

What prayer are you waiting for God to answer?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for answering our prayers. Help us align our hearts with Yours, desiring the same things You desire. Let us become more like Jesus as we develop a closer relationship with You and become sure of the purpose You have for us.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Confidence in God

For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 3:26

Confidence in God can help you become sure of yourself.  According to PBS, we make an average of 35,000 decisions a day.[1]  Making a wrong choice can lead us down roads we never intended to go and cause us to doubt ourselves.  But when we look to God for direction, He will keep our feet from being caught and stumbling down the wrong paths.

To develop confidence in the Lord, we must continually take steps of faith, processing our thoughts and actions through scripture.  Preserving sound judgment and discernment requires diligence in seeking the Savior during regular and dark times.  By practicing a daily quiet time with God and making it a routine in our lives, He will lead us on the path of righteousness, and your confidence in God will grow.

Journaling helps me focus my thoughts and bring my concerns before God.  Each morning, I write down whatever scripture or scriptures speak to me.  Then, I journal why the words touched my heart and give whatever worries or concerns I have to my Maker.  When I finish my entry with an “In Jesus’s name I pray,” I find the Lord’s peace that surpasses understanding and confidence that God will lead me through my day.

Become sure of yourself by developing confidence in the Lord.  Put God’s word into practice in your life, knowing the Lord keeps His promises, protects His flock, and won’t let you go astray.

Journaling Questions:

1. How much confidence do you have in God to guide you on the right path?
2. What can you do today to develop more confidence in God?
3. In what areas of your life do you feel unsure of yourself?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for leading us on the path of righteousness, not letting our feet stumble as we place our confidence in You.  Help us learn to seek You in all things, not trusting our judgment but instead relying on Yours.  Let us honor and serve You well as we trust You more.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1] https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/science/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-in-one-day/

One-minute read.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

People love to persecute and don’t enjoy peacemakers. Following Jesus brings opposition as people rebel against God, not wanting to submit their will to His. But when we cling to the Lord, He helps us persevere and rewards us with the kingdom of heaven.

In my pastor’s recent message, he talked about the parable of the workers found in Matthew 20:1-16. Some workers started at 9:00 a.m., some at noon, and others an hour before the day ended, but they all received the same pay. For years, I’ve struggled with the unfairness of this situation, but my pastor gave me new insight into this well-known story. When I think of the workers, I think of myself as the one who worked all day, and that’s why I judge it as unfair. But I have the wrong perspective. Jesus worked the whole day, enduring the heat; I only worked an hour. Looking at the parable from Christ’s perspective changes the entire story.

Jesus suffered persecution for us; we can’t begin to imagine His sufferings. The trials we face don’t compare to the pain He endured. God did the heavy lifting for us, sending His Son to die for our sins. We worked only an hour; Jesus worked the entire day. God rewards us with the kingdom of heaven for our work, made possible by Christ’s death on the cross. In Him, we find life.

Application:

God rewards us with the kingdom of heaven.

Prayer:  

Lord, thank You for giving us Jesus, who endured persecution beyond our understanding so that we could have eternal life with You. Please help us stay focused on the mission of loving You and others as we share the good news of Jesus with others. Let us not grow weary from persecution as we complete the race You have for us.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6

Divine justice comes from the Lord. When we experience an offense, God will act on our behalf in some way somehow. Everyone wants people who hurt us to suffer. Even the most grace-filled person desires justice. Leaving the situation in the Lord’s hands will bring the best satisfaction. And I do know that waiting on God takes effort.

With permission from our HOA, I teach tennis to children on the local courts. The community installed six pickleball courts with a number code lock beside my teaching area. Non-residents have taken over the courts because people share the numbered password and feel entitled to what they don’t own. Working through this process causes my patience muscle to grow as I endure harassment. But I must follow the proper protocol and wait on management and the Lord to take action.

After I reported the last episode to the manager, they posted signs to keep the pickleball players at bay while changing the gates to a key system that gives access to residents only. None of these happened on my timeline, nor how I would have done it. So I must wait.

In the same way, the Lord brings justice in His time and His way. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, God brings satisfaction. But in the meantime, we must wait.

Application:

Divine satisfaction comes from the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for bringing justice in unfair situations. Please help us wait well for Your divine satisfaction and strengthen our muscles for patience. As we strive to follow You, give us the necessary grace to handle stressful situations.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

Amid grief, writing about comfort challenges me. Experiencing the loss of a dear child in my life and walking through the tragedy with one of my best friends brings me to my knees like nothing else. Trusting the Lord at times like these and placing my hope in Him helps me persevere; knowing His grace comforts us. Through the darkness of these days, God’s light continues to shine in the warm embrace of friends, the quiet moments when He speaks to our hearts, and the strength we receive to take the next step. Although we can’t understand why, we can trust God knows the answers.

“I would never have experienced grace to such a depth if it wasn’t for this experience,” said a grieving father, speaking about his son’s murder. After the horrible event, he sought God’s strength to persevere, which the Lord provided. Listening to my friend’s message, delivered at church, I will never forget his words. Often, he speaks of the grace he encountered in the depths of his pain.

God comforts those who mourn in myriad ways, each personal to the individual. The Lord walks with us at our darkest moments, providing our needs and helping us persevere. With grief comes divine comfort. In my situation, I have felt God’s arms around me at pivotal moments, comforting me in ways that only He can. When you mourn, the Lord mourns with you and comforts you.

Application:

God comforts those who mourn.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for comforting our aching hearts and giving us heavenly comfort. Please help us persevere amid our heartaches. We ask You for the strength to keep going, especially when we struggle to get out of bed.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,

Luke 12:8

Walking into the pro shop for our couples league, the staff clapped as we entered. “There they are, the couple responsible for this,” the Pro said. Uncomfortable with praise, I immediately started blushing. Due to circumstances outside the league coordinator’s control, the golf group unexpectedly lost their home. Helping our leader find a new course to play, I put him in touch with the Pro at our local course, and eventually, the league decided to move to it. As a result, the staff appreciated and acknowledged our efforts.

When we acknowledge Jesus before men, He will acknowledge us before the angels of God. Like the staff clapping their hands for us, Jesus will cheer us joyfully as we enter their presence, pleased with our efforts. But we must put Christ before men. God calls us to honor and serve Him, not taking credit for His work.

In all honesty, I did nothing but give the league coordinator a connection. He did all the work moving the couples group to a different course. Our leader deserves the praise, not us. In the same way, Jesus deserves acknowledgment for the work He does in our lives. When we give the Lord His due, He, in return, gives us ours. Acknowledge Jesus before men, and enjoy the Savior acknowledging you before the angels of God. What a glorious day when Christ commends us for our efforts here on Earth.

Application:

Acknowledge Jesus, and He acknowledges us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your divine acknowledgment when we give You credit for the work You do for us. Please help us speak boldly of Jesus, sharing the Savior at every opportunity. Let us speak of Him to men, and have Christ speak of us to You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

John 10:27-29

Once protected, always protected. Nothing can snatch us from the fold when we enter it, becoming part of Jesus’s flock. God’s sheep recognize the Shepherd, obeying Him with their actions and aligning their hearts with His. In return, the Lord grants us eternal life and permanent protection from the evil one. Our Almighty Father commits all His resources to protect us, and Jesus’s actions on the cross confirm that truth.

The thin veil between this world and the next becomes more real during times of difficulty. As we seek God amid our heartache, especially the loss of a loved one, we realize this truth. Peace comes from knowing their eternal address has a room in God’s mansion and that we will see them again one day. Our eternal life began the moment we left our mother’s womb. Placing our faith in Jesus brings us into His flock, where He has an everlasting hold on us, never letting us go. Leaving our physical bodies, we’ll join Him in heaven. 

God loved us before we ever loved Him.  Christ came to rescue us from our sins and give us new life. Placing our faith in the Savior assures us of our eternal address, which waits for all Jesus’s followers when they leave their earthly homes.

Application:

God has an eternal hold on His children.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us Your divine protection, never letting us go, holding onto us for eternity. Please help us rest in the promise of Your salvation as we face the trials of this world. Let us live fully, knowing You hold us in the palm of Your hand.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 19:29-30

Following Jesus, despite the conflicts it creates in our families, will not leave us orphaned. Within God’s family, He gives us people who will love us as their children, connected by the blood of Jesus. During my younger years, my Sunday school teacher loved me as one of her own, introducing me to the Savior. As an adult, when I struggled to find my way back to God, an older woman in our church took me under her wing and loved me like her granddaughter, helping me discover Christ again. One pastor, in particular, loved me like his daughter, knowing God had called my Earthly father home.

Not only do we find eternal rewards as we submit our lives to God, but we also find a family bond with His children. A friend sent me a message thanking me for encouraging her on her journey. The Lord gives us family on Earth to help us on the journey, moving us forward when life knocks us down and lifting us when we fall to our knees. The Creator designed us not only for eternal rewards but also for eternal family as we come alongside each other and fill in the gaps our Earthly family leaves in our lives.

Jesus gives us eternal life and a family to help us live to the fullest as we follow Him. The first will become last, and the last first, but we all end up together in the loving arms of our Savior. Living for God will cause friction in some relationships. But take heart: the Lord gives us a new family when we give Him our lives.

Application:

God gives us eternal rewards and an eternal family.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us eternal life through Jesus and people to fill in the gaps of what we don’t have. Please help us continue to seek You daily, following Your commands as we strive to live our lives for Jesus. Let us serve and honor You in all we do.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Psalm 116:2 NLT

My friend Claire has this Psalm as a signature on her emails. She introduced me to this verse, quickly becoming one of my favorites. I picture my grandfather bending down to me as a small girl so he could hear what I had to say. Now, the memory represents the Lord drawing close to me and listening to my prayers. My mind’s eye sees God leaning into me, not wanting to miss a word I have to say. And He does the same for you.

We all have different ideas of God, formed from our life experiences and relationship with Him.  Some of us didn’t have grandfathers who bent down to listen to us, making it difficult to envision a Heavenly Father doing the same. Picture someone who leans in to hear what you say, and imagine God doing the same thing. The Lord loves you; He created you and knows everything about you. When you speak to Him, He listens attentively, not missing a word you say, wanting the best for you.

Just because the Lord doesn’t answer the way you want doesn’t mean He didn’t hear you. God’s ways differ from ours, as do His thoughts. Our limited view closes our eyes to the whole story. But the Lord knows the end game, and His answers help us reach His goals. God bends down, hears our prayers, and answers them according to His sovereign will. We may not understand everything now, but one day we will. Until then, we trust and pray, knowing God bends down to hear us.

Application:

God bends down to listen to us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for bending down to listen to our prayers. Please help us believe and trust, even when we don’t understand. Give us faith to take the next steps in our journey, knowing You hear our prayers and guide our paths.

IJNIP. Amen