Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 29:1-30:10, Matthew 26:14-46, Psalm 31:19-24, Proverbs 8:14-26

Daily Verse: “My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.” Prov. 8:19

Nothing compares to the fruit produced from a heart dedicated to Christ, led by the Holy Spirit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

Obeying God’s commands produces His fruit. Becoming more like Jesus makes us more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlling. 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever “(John 14:15-16)

We can produce fruit better than gold if God’s Spirit guides and directs us. Jesus left us with a Helper, an unbreakable connection to our Creator. Seeking the Lord’s wisdom and accessing His strength will help us live uncommon lives, producing exceptional fruit.

Lord, how desperately we want to produce fruit better than gold.  Help us get out of our way, allowing the Spirit to lead us, letting us produce Your fruits in our lives.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 28:1-43, Matthew 25:31-26:13, Psalm 31:9-18, Proverbs 8:12-13

Daily Verse: “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.” Prov. 8:12

Knowledge in its original form means “understanding and learning.”  Seeking information helps us grow as we become wiser with our findings.

“Seeking real understanding affirms the other person and what they have to say.” Stephen Covey, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’

Applying wisdom to relationships means understanding the other person’s perspective before drawing conclusions. Once we know, we can proceed with discretion, but making assumptions will cause harm.

Assuming I know my husband’s thoughts never end well. He never ceases to surprise me with how differently we think. After ten years of marriage, I know to get clarification from him before making decisions, which helps strengthen our relationship.

Accepting we don’t know everything, especially other people’s thoughts, allows us to seek knowledge and discretion, helping us make better decisions and become more like Christ.

Lord, forgive us for making assumptions. Help us seek to understand before drawing incorrect conclusions. Let’s seek knowledge in all things, accepting that we always have more to learn. IJNP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 26:1-27:21, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-8, Proverbs 8:1-11

Daily Verse: “O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.” Prov. 8:5

Orma, the original Hebrew word for “prudence,” means cunning. Peti, “simple” in its original form, means “someone easily deceived.”  Learning cunning helps us spot deception and avoid it.

Planning a summer vacation, I asked for recommendations in a Facebook group. Someone planning a similar adventure messaged me through the app. Before I could accept the message, a warning popped up, telling me how to spot scammers. In other words, Facebook helped me learn prudence in receiving messages from strangers.

Scripture helps spot deception, acting like a warning sign on social media. What motivates our hearts motivates our actions. The love of money causes many people to do illicit things. A heart dedicated to Christ takes a different path.

Learn prudence by reading and applying the scriptures to your life. Let God’s sense plant in your heart, guiding and directing you on the path of eternal life.

Lord, thank You for the scriptures, and the wisdom found within the pages of the Bible. Help us apply it to our lives, learning prudence and letting sense firmly plant in our hearts. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 23:14-25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalm 30:1-12, Proverbs 7:24-27

Daily Verse: “And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.” Prov. 7:24

God wants us to obey Him because, in doing so, we will find protection from the world’s ways.

The adulteress woman discussed in chapter seven wants to drag people into her misery. Using her appearance and words, she draws her victims like flies to honey, destroying everyone who falls for it.

Misery loves company. Instead of pulling people up, some try dragging them down.

Following Jesus lets us pull people up, giving them a hand to find new life in Christ. Replacing hopelessness with hope uplifts and encourages people, giving them a way out of life’s valleys.

“For this light, momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison.”  2 Cor. 4:17

But we can’t lift anyone up if we get stuck in the muck. Living for Jesus pulls us out of the quicksand, stands us on firm ground, and lets us extend our hand to others, helping them do the same.

Lord, forgive us when we falter. Stand us on firm ground as You lead us through the valleys of life. Let us encourage and uplift others as we journey through life. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 21:22-23:13, Matthew 24:1-28, Psalm 29:1-11, Proverbs 7:6-23

Daily Verse: “With much seductive speech she persuades him;  with her smooth talk she compels him.” Prov. 7:21

People hide ulterior motives behind seductive speech, like the woman in today’s verse.  Reading the entire passage, the adulteress woman’s intentions become clear, her calculated words leading an innocent person astray.

Exploiting the innocence in people happens every day by all kinds of people.  Lying to achieve goals means more to some than living a life filled with integrity.

Fast talkers, like today’s heroine, know how to evoke strong emotions, not giving people time to think about their actions, instead following blindly along.

‘Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8

Beware of those who would take advantage of your weaknesses.  Understand, the spiritual battle never ceases, always trying to derail our best intentions.

Victory comes with Jesus.  Lean into Christ’s teachings to help avoid the pitfall of seductive words.

Lord, forgive us for going astray because of seductive speech.  Illuminate truth for us in all things, and help us avoid the pitfalls of fast talkers.  Give us victory over the enemy’s attacks.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 19:16-21:21, Matthew 23:13-39, Psalm 28:1-9, Proverbs 7:1-5

Daily Verse: “Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,” Prov. 7:4

Bina, the original Hebrew word for insight in today’s verse, means “wisdom that responds to the Lord and His instruction.”

Becoming intimate friends with Jesus will give you access to His wisdom. However, the trend over the past 30 years shows a decrease in close relationships in the U.S.

“Just 13% of adults say they have 10 or more close friends, compared with 33% of those surveyed in 1990.” World Economic Forum, ‘Friendships: Less is Now More”

According to a 2020 Gallup poll, church attendance dropped below 50% for the first time in 8 decades.

If we want to call insight our intimate friend, we must pursue relationships, first with Jesus, then with others. Attending church regularly helps us do both. 

Building a life-giving bouquet of friends begins with Jesus. Becoming intimate with Christ will give you insight and develop close relationships with Him and others.  

Lord, forgive us for not pursuing You more. Help us draw closer to Jesus today as we seek a relationship with Him.  Build our bouquet of friendships as we engage with Jesus in an intimate relationship. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 17:8-19:15, Matthew 22:34-23:12, Psalm 27:7-14, Proverbs 6:27-35

As campers, we build fires often. Hot coals gather quickly once the fire starts going and become deadly to the touch within minutes. The flame’s heat causes us to stay far from it, using a poker to stoke the fire when necessary.

Once a fire gets going, it requires effort to put out. If you go looking for trouble, you will find it harder to stop than you think. 

Playing with fire never ends well. Starting an inferno begins with one match. A little flame turns into a raging blaze that destroys everything in its path.

My friend uses the analogy of a frog placed in cold water on the stove. When the burner begins to heat the water, the frog doesn’t realize the temperature change, warming with the flames. 

Playing with fire may seem innocent, but like the frog, we don’t realize the inferno’s danger until too late.

Lord, forgive us our inclination to play with fire. Help us avoid the temptations of the day ahead. Guide us on straight paths that bring life to us, not take it away. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 15:19-17:7, Matthew 22:1-33, Psalm 27:1-6, Proverbs 6:20-26

Daily Verse: “When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” Prov. 6:22

“They” in today’s verse refers to commandments from our parents who have our best interests at heart.  Like my Mom, whose words of advice when I became a flight attendant proved invaluable:

“Don’t let any pilots in your room.”

Simple, direct, and wise, Mom’s words saved me from heartache.  During my brief time in the air, I let two pilots in my room, and both broke my heart.  Eventually, I listened, but unfortunately, not soon enough.

Mom’s wisdom came from God.  Dedicating her life to Jesus, her words of wisdom came from Scripture memorized over her lifetime. Keeping Mom’s commandments kept me in line with God’s.

My Mom knew she couldn’t protect me from life’s struggles.  But she could point me toward the One who could help me persevere: Jesus.  And so, she did, with the wisdom from her faith.

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 13:17-15:18, Matthew 21:23-46, Psalm 26:1-12, Proverbs 6:16-19

Seven sins God despises, also called the “Seven Deadly Sins,” come from Proverbs, all aspects of relationships:

“…haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Prov. 6:17-19

Reading the list, you can see why God hates the list of sins. They tear people apart, destroy relationships and leave a trail of misery behind them.

God loves everyone, all equal in the King’s eyes. When Jesus died, He did it for all. We can choose whether to place our faith in Christ or not. Our actions speak louder than our words.

Thinking ourselves better than others, lying, manipulating, chasing evil, and causing discord will distance us from God and people.

But following Jesus and obeying His commands will deepen your relationship with God and man.

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Exodus 12:14-13:16, Matthew 20:29-21:22, Psalm 25:16-22, Proverbs 6:12-15

Daily Verse: “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,” Prov. 6:12

People who violate the law or act contemptuously and foolishly practice deceptive ways. When they speak, their words don’t carry truth, not knowing the definition of integrity.

In other words, anyone who intentionally misleads others astray falls into the category of “scoundrel” or “villain.” Wicked people cause more harm to themselves than anyone else, needing Jesus to turn their lives around.

“I read the paper every day and the Bible every day; that way I know what both sides are up to.” Zig Ziglar

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar’s quote comes to mind when I think of the war between truth and lies. Discerning crooked speech becomes easier with Jesus, who makes our paths straight as we follow Him.

Beware of crooked speech. Discern truth with scripture and pray for those who try to lead you astray.

Lord, forgive us for believing lies. Help us discern truth as we move through our day. Illuminate our paths as we follow Jesus, and guide us in truth. IJNIP. Amen