Author: Beth Morrison

One-minute read.

God promises protection. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Lord swore to protect them, and He did. Our heavenly Father sustains us under His wings when we take refuge in Him. Like Pharoah, who witnessed the Israelites’ safety, people see what the Lord does for us. Our light shines into a dark world, glorifying our Creator.

Often, we don’t understand why things happen. The Israelites didn’t know why God rescued them from slavery only to suffer starvation in the wilderness. But then the Lord provided manna from heaven and, as a result, glorified His name. Thousands of years later, the Israelites serve as a witness to Jesus’s followers of God’s divine provision of daily bread. What the Lord did then, He continues to do now.

As Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes, nothing new exists under the sun. God’s word, the firm foundation, still stands strong. We can rely on His promises, allowing the Lord to work through us and, by doing so, become witnesses of His might and power.

Fear not; whatever you face today, the Lord has the answer. Turn to Him and allow God to shine through you, exemplifying His glorious strength.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for protecting us and keeping us from harm. Please let Your glory shine through us, lighting the world around us as we witness for You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Daniel receives a divine message from an angelic messenger. Overcome with emotion, the Lord’s servant finds strength from God’s encouragement, ready to receive instruction and direction from above. Once we understand the depths of our Creator’s love for us, giving our lives to Him becomes a natural response to His affection.

We all share a common desire: to love and be loved. Having someone fully accept us, warts and all, fulfills a basic human need. We have that in the Lord. Not only does He greatly love us, but God created us out of His intense love for us.

The Almighty greatly loves you—so much so that God sent Jesus, in human form, to die for you on the cross, defeating death and establishing an eternal connection to the Lord.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

If no one else existed on the Earth, Jesus would still have died for you. God goes after the one, leaving the 99. When someone places their faith in the Savior, the heavens rejoice.

God greatly loves you. Accept that truth today, ponder it, and let it fill your soul with peace.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for Your great love for us, which gives us an eternal connection to You no one can break. Please help us receive and accept Your love, allowing it to strengthen and encourage us.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Like the Israelites wandering in the desert, God doesn’t want us to worry about tomorrow. The Lord gave them daily manna. He didn’t give the Israelites supplies to carry for the entire journey, wanting them to trust Him for their daily needs.

God gave His people enough food for the day, and the next morning, more bread appeared. The Lord’s daily manna stained the Israelites for the journey until they arrived in the promised land.

As we travel through this life to the promised land, the Lord doesn’t want us to worry about tomorrow’s needs. Instead, God wants us to trust Him for our daily requirements. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He instructed them to ask the Lord for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). The Almighty only wants us to think about today, trusting His provision as we face the day’s challenges. Wherever God guides, He provides. He did it for the Israelites; the Lord will do it for us.

When God brings us to the Red Sea, He knows how He will part it. Let the Lord lead, enjoying the journey as He takes care of the trip.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for handling today’s problems. Please help us trust You more as anxiety tries to steal our joy. Keep our eyes focused on You, knowing You will part the Red Sea for us and show us the way.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

We live in a world full of lies that people not only believe but dig their heels into and refuse to consider any other possibilities. But we do have hope. In time, God reveals an undeniable truth that even the most extreme opponents can’t deny. Praying for eyes to see and ears to hear the Lord’s truth becomes our best defense against the enemy’s ploys.

Recently, I learned the term “Soldier Mindset:” people defend what they already believe against what they see as threats. I’ve done this myself; ask my husband, who constantly challenges me. As a result, I’ve learned to develop a “Growth Mindset:” exploring and accepting new ideas.

Instead of forcing my beliefs on others, I ask questions and try to understand their position. Then, when the opportunity arises, I plant seeds of truth, praying that they will take root. But ultimately, I leave them in God’s hands, knowing He reveals truth to us all in His sovereignty.

Seek the Creator for truth. He will reveal it to you. No one lies to us more than we lie to ourselves. With the Savior on our side, He reveals the truth in love, helping us become more like Him and less like the world.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for revealing the truth, drawing us closer to You, and enabling us to share it with others. Please reveal any lies we believe, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

For years, I didn’t think I had any value. Because I felt invisible on the inside, I didn’t think people noticed me on the outside, and so when someone saw me, I felt shocked. Growing up in the country, when I looked up at the stars in the sky, I felt small in the context of the vast universe surrounding us. Jesus’s words assure us of our place in the world; one God notices, even more so than the sparrows.

Small brown birds, sparrows build their nests close to the ground, feed their babies insects, and lead indiscriminate lives, hardly noticed by anyone. But the Lord sees them and knows their activities. Jesus wants us to understand: If the Creator cares about these barely noticed birds, how much more does He care about us?

Despite what you may feel inside, you matter. God notices and wants a relationship with you so desperately that He sent His Son to die for you. The Lord created you for a purpose only you can fulfill. Trust His words, believe God’s promises, and know you have immense value to the Lord and the world.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us value and demonstrating its depth through Jesus. Please help us see ourselves as You do and understand our purpose as we seek You wholeheartedly.
IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

When Jesus strolled up to the disciple’s boat, they didn’t recognize Him, petrified of the figure walking on water. Immediately, the Savior calms their fears by identifying Himself. Sometimes, when God moves, it can take us by surprise, scaring us.

I often think of Jesus walking on water, Peter joining him on the roaring waves. To experience the miracle, not only did the disciple have to get out of the boat, but he also had to overcome his fear. Taking steps of faith often comes with an anxiety attack. Thinking of what could go wrong can paralyze us, causing us never to move.

Just as Jesus calmed the disciples, if we focus our eyes on Him, the Lord will also calm us. God didn’t create us to live in fear. With His Spirit residing inside us, the Lord gives us everything we need to pursue the dreams He gives us and take the steps necessary to accomplish them. Writing my first devotional took enormous courage, as did my first book. But the more I allow God to lead me, the easier it becomes, and the more I write, trusting Him with the results.

Let Jesus calm you with His presence. Give your fears to Him, and walk on water with the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for calming our fears with Your presence that never leaves nor forsakes us. Please help us become more sensitive to Your Spirit as we follow You one day at a time.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Worry comes naturally to me, and I suspect many other people. What to eat? What to wear? All things I’ve spent time agonizing over. But God doesn’t want us to feel anxious over material things or worry about how we will obtain them. As our divine Provider, the Lord knows and plans to meet our needs. We must learn to trust more and fret less.

Why do I worry more and trust less? Especially at 55 years old? The Lord has always provided for me, yet I still have anxiety about it. That doesn’t make sense unless you consider worry part of our human nature.

Now I understand why the Old Testament has examples of the people setting up altars to remind themselves of what the Lord did and does for them. Humans have short memories.

God will provide all our needs. He repeatedly promises to take care of His people. We can give our worries to Him, trusting the Provider to provide. By letting go of the material, we can trust the spiritual and receive the Lord’s blessings.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for providing all our needs. Please forgive us for worrying about frivolous things, taking our eyes off the main thing: You. Take away our worries as we trust You more and more.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God’s Spirit strengthens and encourages us. Putting the Lord first in our lives means we care more about His thoughts than anyone else. For instance, lying. Many people lie because they think it will make things easier, but it never does.

During my tenure as a small group coordinator, I had an issue with one of the groups that resulted from the leader’s lie. When the people involved came to me with their concerns, I quickly learned of the false tale that caused the relational problem. We resolved the conflict once the truth came out, but the pain and heartache didn’t have to occur.

If the leader had told the truth in the first place, the group members wouldn’t have experienced the pain. But because the person thought more of what others would believe than God’s commands, they lied, and people got hurt.

Every day, we choose to follow God or the world. Chasing after worldly approval leads to heartache. When we choose the Creator, we have the comfort of His Spirit to help us persevere, and He multiplies our efforts.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us Your Spirit to guide, direct, and comfort us. Please help us choose You today and every day. Let us execute Your commands as we strive to love You and others well.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Walking in step with the Lord gives us divine protection from the enemy. However, we must ensure our hearts align with the Savior’s and not our desires. God is not for us when we stray from the straight and narrow and follow selfish impulses.

For a long time, I defined righteous anger incorrectly. Instead of defining the strong emotion as an offense against the Lord, I thought it meant an offense against me. Just because I view something as right doesn’t make it right. But I could dig my heels in when I felt offended and thought I had the winning view. God didn’t support my stance because it didn’t align with His heart. My offense doesn’t equal God’s.

God does have our backs when we walk in His will. But we must remember we don’t always do what the Lord wants. Our flesh gets the best of us every now and then, and the devil can get a foothold in our sins. When we stray from the Lord, we leave His divine protection and suffer the consequences of our actions.

We do have a heavenly Father who wants the best for us. When we align ourselves with Him, nothing can stop us. Stay close to the Lord, cling to His robes, and experience His divine protection.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for protecting us, covering us with Your wings, and keeping us safe. Please help us cling to You, repenting our sins, and obeying Your commands. Let us live in the shadow of the Almighty, protected and loved.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

As a child, I would sleep on the floor beside my parent’s bed when I got scared at night. I felt safe, tucked between the wall and Mom’s side of the mattress. When Three Mile Island occurred, the partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor, I hid a survival kit under the bed, sure I would save the entire family. The small space became my place of refuge and strength.

As an adult, I run to the Lord for safety, making Him my stronghold. Time and again, God protects and comforts me in my present troubles. People let me down, but the Creator never does. Even if I don’t understand, I know His plan will prevail, no matter the attack.

Jesus, descended from the lion of Judah, gained victory for all on the cross. Dying for our sins and overcoming death, the Savior longs for us to turn to Him and experience the grace and mercy He offers. The Lord doesn’t condemn us for our sins; He forgives them. Laying our burdens at His feet, Christ heals us when we come to Him, giving us new direction and hope for the future.

Seek refuge in the Savior and experience His peace.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us a safe, dependable place to take refuge from our troubles. Please help us seek You first, not last. Give us the peace that surpasses all understanding as we come to You with our burdens.
IJNIP. Amen