Category: Uncategorized

One-minute read.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

Loyal friendship comes from unexpected places. Some people only last a season, but others go the distance, traveling through life with us, our connections closer than that of a brother. I met one of my dear friends while working as a game room attendant in high school. Video games lined the walls of the ski lodge, and I would hand out change from my little office to the patrons. 

“Hi, I’m Laura.”  When my now lifelong friend introduced herself to me, I had no idea what journey we would go on together. Car accidents, boyfriends, husbands, children (hers), ministry issues, losing our parents, her first grandbaby, we had no way of knowing what life held for us that long ago summer day when she introduced herself to me and our friendship began.

According to the Pew Research Center, 8% of people say they have no close friends, only 38% say they have five or more, and 53% report having 1-4 close friends.[i]  Our technological world gives us many internet connections, but our physical friendships dwindle. Everyone needs friends and close relationships that support and help us through life, both the good and bad. Following Jesus teaches us how to have strong connections with God and others. Practicing what the Savior commands and loving God and others will help you develop friendships with people who stick closer than brothers.

Journaling Questions:

How many loyal friendships do you have?

Who sticks closer than a brother in your life?

What can you do to develop loyal friendships?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us friends that stick closer than a brother. Help us develop relationships that last a lifetime, creating loyal connections that we can count on in times of trouble. With You at the center of our relationships, we can have the three cord friendships that don’t break.

IJNIP. Amen

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[i] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/12/what-does-friendship-look-like-in-america/#:~:text=A%20narrow%20majority%20of%20adults%20%2853%25%29%20say%20they,in%20the%20number%20of%20close%20friends%20people%20have.

One-minute read.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Dedicating your life to Jesus will transform it. The more you pursue a relationship with the Savior, the more your life will change. You will begin to respond differently as you learn about Christ’s teachings and how He responded to the world around Him. Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to help us become more like Him.  Knowing we need help to transform our minds and not conform to the world around us, the Lord gives us what we need.

For instance, becoming a writer takes commitment. Lots of people talk about writing but never write. When I began this journey, my husband told me I needed to develop a process. And so, I did. Then, every day, I repeat it. As I described my process to a friend, I think of it like crocheting an afghan. First, I decide what I want to do, then I figure out a pattern, then I do it. But without the commitment, I wouldn’t finish the project, and I would never write anything.

In the same way, committing to live like Jesus means we develop a process of following Him and getting to know His ways. The more we complete the process, the more we transform, not becoming like the world but mimicking the Savior. The more I become like Jesus, the more I fulfill God’s purpose: loving God and others.

Journaling Questions:

How has Jesus transformed your life?

What can you do today to develop a closer relationship with Christ?

What area of your life do you want to transform?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for helping us transform and become more like Jesus. Protect us from conforming to the world around us, leading us to become more like Christ. Help us mimic the Savior’s responses instead of the world.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20

Who we hang out with today determines our tomorrow. Pier pressure makes us do things we wouldn’t otherwise do. Know who influences you and how. Find people you want to emulate and hang out with them. Learn how they do life, why they make the decisions they do, and how they persevere through life’s storms. Pursue healthy relationships, ask people to lunch, take them to coffee, and go on a walk with them. Determine who you want to influence in your life, then find ways to spend time with them.

In tennis, playing against people better than you, the same as you, and at a lower level helps you develop your game best. Walking with Jesus, we should have people who mentor us, people on the same level as us, and people we mentor. Developing a well-rounded network helps us continue to grow, have support for the journey, and lead others to Jesus. We must walk with the wise to become wise and share what we learn with others.

Living intentionally and thinking about who we surround ourselves with will help us become the best version of ourselves. God created us to live in a community with others, and we can determine what that community looks like. If we let people on a negative path influence our lives, we’ll end up in the pit with them. But when we pursue relationships with wise people, we live victoriously in Christ with them.

Journaling Questions:

Who has the most influence in your life?

Whose life would you like to emulate?

How can you pursue new relationships with people today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us wise people in our lives. Help us pursue relationships with people who will support us in our relationship with You, growing more mature and wiser as we spend time with them. Let us fulfill our potential as we pursue wisdom through Your children.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:27

Worry shortens our lives in more than just a physical way; it steals the joy from the present moment. Take advice from someone who has wasted too much time worrying about things that never happened and missed out on some pivotal moments. When I think back to my younger years and the events I didn’t attend, the invitations I didn’t accept, and the memories I didn’t make because I lost myself in anxiety and worry, I have regret.

“Worry isn’t going to do any good.”

My mom tried to help me with my obsessive worrying. Only as I grew older and had the unexpected happen did I see the value in her words. Anxiety focuses our thoughts on one of two things: what happened in the past or what could happen in the future. We miss the present when we let our minds get stuck in the past or the future. With little chance of our worries coming to fruition, we must take Jesus’s words to heart and not waste our time. Instead, we can find ways to cope with our anxiety and stay grounded in the present.

Jesus wants us to live in the now, and He wants us to live fully present. We can accomplish that goal when we keep the Son in our eyes. Trusting in the promises of the Lord and allowing Him to control our lives, we can release our worries to Him, knowing He already has an answer. God promises us hope and a future; He has the best plan for our lives if we let Him lead and we follow.

Journaling Questions:

What worries are stealing joy from you today?

How can you let go of your anxiety and trust Jesus?

What promise of God’s do you need to meditate on today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for taking care of all our concerns. Help us remember that worrying does no good for anyone, and most of what we worry about won’t happen. Let us live with peaceful hearts as we give control of our lives to You, trusting Your plan for our lives.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

John 14:1

Jesus wants to encourage the disciples whose uncertainty and discouragement have weakened their faith. Urging them to believe in God and Himself, Christ urges them to set their hearts at ease. The Savior wants the same for us when we get discouraged. When our faith wavers and doubt grows, we must rely on God’s promises to help us keep going. We can control our thoughts and fill our hearts with hope when we meditate on the Lord’s word.

The Bible contains thousands of promises to help us live a divine life with peaceful hearts. Repeatedly, God tells us to fear not, for He walks with us. The Lord promises to provide our every need and guide us along the path of righteousness. Developing a relationship with our Creator will build our faith as we memorize and meditate on His promises. But we can’t do what we don’t know.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Jesus tells us how to have peace and believe in Him. The Lord overcame the troubles of this world when He turned a crucifixion into a resurrection. Live resurrected in Jesus, let your heart’s trouble go as you trust God!

Journaling Questions:

What troubles your heart today?

What promise of God do you need to rely on today?

How can you develop your relationship with Jesus?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us promises to rely on today. Please help us find the words to build our faith and spur us on the journey. Build our faith as we trust You, doing our best to put into practice Your word.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

Learning to cast our burdens to God will help us stay on the right path, confidently walking with Him. The Lord already knows our struggles, the ones we have and will have. God wants us to share our problems. Relationships require communication, and life involves community, beginning with our connection to the Lord, our Savior, our Comforter, and our Sustainer.

Identifying our problems leads to solutions. If we don’t acknowledge we have a burden, we can’t begin the journey to overcome it. Without awareness, we can’t find victory. Knowing the struggle and then sharing it with God and others helps us defeat the enemy and find the Lord’s sustenance.

Controlling emotions under pressure challenges me. I want to respond in anger when life’s frustrations pop up. Identifying the ingrained response helps me to overcome it. Praying and asking the Lord to remove the bitter root helps me defeat the burden that causes me more problems. Once I identified the issue, I could develop coping techniques to respond differently, not causing harm but instead finding victory through the Lord.

Ask God to help you identify the burdens in your life. Get to the root of the problem with the Lord and discover freedom from your issues. Partnering with the Lord will help you overcome life’s challenges and find His peace and sustenance to help you stand firm. Let the Lord fight your battles and give Him glory for the victory.

Journaling Questions:

What burden do you need God’s help with today?

How can you rely on God’s sustenance freshly?

What does a partnership with God look like for you?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for sustaining us on the journey. Help us identify our burdens and give them to You.  When we want to take back our problems, give us the strength to leave them with You, trusting You for victory.

IJNIP. Amn

One-minute read.

“Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:34

God doesn’t want us worrying our life away. The Lord wants us to rely on Him to provide all our needs. Fretting about what might happen tomorrow steals joy from today. Ninety-one percent of the things we anguish over never occur.[i]  And for the other nine percent, it’s never as bad as we imagine. Dealing with today’s problems will give us enough to do; we don’t need to borrow trouble by worrying about what might happen tomorrow.

The Lord gives us enough grace for today. Whatever happens tomorrow, God will provide more grace for then. Wasting today’s grace on what might happen tomorrow does no good. Staying present now helps us live life to the fullest and doesn’t allow us to miss today’s blessings. Thinking about future problems takes us out of today’s game. Don’t write the book; enjoy the scene.

Don’t borrow trouble. Let the day unfold, trusting God will give you whatever you need to survive. Instead of wasting time and energy on things that will never happen, stay grounded in the present, enjoying the blessings of today. When your mind starts to stray, remind yourself that the Lord will give you what you need when you need it, not a moment earlier. Relax in the arms of the Lord, let Him handle your problems, and let your worries drift away.

Journaling Questions:

What trouble have you borrowed lately?

What have you worried about in the past that never happened?

How can you stay grounded in the present today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for handling our problems and giving us the grace we need when we need it. Please help us focus on today and not worry about tomorrow. Don’t let the enemy steal our joy or waste our time. IJNIP. Amen

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[i] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201907/how-often-do-your-worries-actually-come-true

One-minute read.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

“Eirene,” the original Greek word for peace, means harmony, tranquility, safety, welfare, and health, with an emphasis on lack of strife or reconciliation in a relation, as when one has “peace with God.” Discovering peace through Jesus comes when we place our faith in Him instead of things in the world. Submission differs from obedience. Submitting our lives to Christ means acknowledging that He sees the whole picture. 

When Ron and I went to the Player’s Golf tournament in Florida, we chose a hole and sat by the green, waiting for our favorite golfers to play through. When we watch golf from the comfort of our living room, we have a broader perspective as the camera switches from one hole to the next, able to watch multiple players simultaneously. In the same way, in life, our horizontal perspective only sees the green in front of us. But God’s vertical perspective sees all 18 holes. Making peace with God means accepting that He sees the whole course while we only see one hole.

And once we accept the peace God offers, we trust His authority. As life unfolds, we submit to the Lord’s leading, knowing He has a plan and purpose for us we can’t see. Giving up control, we let Jesus take the wheel of our life, steering us wherever He wants to take us. We need not worry about the challenges that arise; obstacles represent future victories to the Lord. Faith overcomes fear as we move forward, one millimeter at a time. The Lord’s peace rules in our lives the more we let go and let God.

Journaling Questions:

Where do you lack peace in your life?

How does giving control to God make you feel?

What area of your life do you feel God’s peace most?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us peace and helping us give control of our lives to You.  When we struggle to let go, give us the courage to trust You more. Let us live in peace with You.

IJNIP. Amen

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[1] NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan.

One-minute read.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

Peter tells believers to “cast all your anxiety” on the Lord. No matter what worries your mind, God wants to help you with it. We can’t receive the Almighty’s assistance if we don’t ask for it. Living in a fallen world, Christ’s followers struggle with the same issues as non-believers. But we have a God who wants to help us and will help us when we turn to Him. We don’t serve an indifferent Savior; He cares about all our struggles.

Jesus has an intimate involvement in all our lives. Caring for each of our struggles, the Lord has the answers we need. Whether searching for lost keys, trying to stay afloat during a financial upheaval, or helping us navigate the rough waters of a health scare, Christ has the answer. In Him, we can find peace.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

The world’s problems will last for a moment, the glory of heaven far outweighing our Earthly struggles. Looking to the cross for hope, we will find the strength to persevere through our struggles and discover the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Journaling Questions:

What care do you need to cast to the Lord today?

How does knowing that this too shall pass help you find peace?

What hope does the cross give you?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for caring about all our struggles, big and small. As we face problems today, help us quickly give them to You, seeking You first and not letting anxiety steal joy from us. Give us Your peace that allows us to persevere in the storm.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:6-7

Peaceful living comes from God. When anxiety begins to weave its threads into your mind, turning to the Lord and starting a conversation will help you defeat the enemy. Prayer beats anxiety.   Begin by thanking the Creator for listening and caring about your concerns. Trust that He hears what you say. Then, lift your worries to God and let Him fight the battle for you. Experience the Lord’s peace as you exchange your anxieties for His gift.

During my last hospital stay, a misread on the monitor showed a spike in my heart rate. The incident created anxiety in me; I began to use my Fitbit to monitor it, causing more fretfulness. Turning to God in prayer, I asked Him to rid me of my anxiety. Later that afternoon, I lost the Fitbit and realized the Lord answered my prayer. Instead of replacing the smartwatch, I bought a $10 sports watch from Walmart and have not had a problem since that day, gaining God’s peace that surpasses all understanding.

Instead of fretting, pray. Begin a conversation with God, thanking Him for working all things to the good, then telling Him your concerns. Lay your burdens at the foot of the cross and leave them there. Let God fight your battles as you enjoy His peace that surpasses all understanding.

Journaling Questions:

What causes you anxiety?

How can you thank God during the situation?

What do you want God to do for you today?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for answering all our worries. Help us defeat anxiety by giving our problems to You, trusting You for an answer. Let us experience Your peace that surpasses all understanding as we repeatedly turn to You for help.

IJNIP. Amen