Category: Uncategorized

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29, Luke 6:12-38, Psalm 67:1-7, Proverbs 11:27

Daily Verse: “Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” Prov. 11:27

Seek divine favor.

Pursuing a life with Christ means seeking divine favor daily.  Who doesn’t want God’s blessing in their lives?  People who choose to follow the world.

Obedience brings blessings.  God honors our efforts to follow Him, but we won’t receive the reward if we don’t try.  

When facing the unknown, trying to obey what scripture says, despite the opposite of what my flesh wants to do, leads me to an often-uttered prayer, “Bless my efforts, Lord.”

Trusting God will notice and bless my actions helps spur me on to obedience.  Reminding myself of the prophet Isaiah’s words, “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), helps keep me humble and reminds me that I can do nothing without Christ.

If we seek trouble, we will find it.  But if we pursue righteousness through Jesus, relying on God for help, we will find His favor.  Ask God for His blessing, do your best to honor Him, and expect the Lord to answer with His goodness.

Lord, forgive us for following the ways of the world.  Help us tune in to Your desires for our life.  Bless our efforts as we try to follow You to the best of our ability.  In all things, let You receive the glory and honor.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 36:1-

Deuteronomy 1:46, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 11:24-26

Daily Verse: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” Prov. 11:24

Become generous.

“Hold it all loosely,” Ron often says.  Clinging to the things of this world, the temporary material items that will perish does no good.  But if we learn to hold them loosely, becoming generous with our possessions, we’ll find abundance.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7

God doesn’t bless us so we can hoard possessions but that we can share them generously with others.  Not only should we practice generosity, but our heart posture also matters.  Giving cheerfully pleases God and opens the door for Him to pour more blessings into our lives.

“You can’t outgive God,” I say often.  Try outdoing the Lord in generosity; without a doubt, you will fail.  But the blessings you receive will make you want to give more.

Become generous with God’s blessings; undoubtedly, you become richer in ways you can’t imagine.

Lord, forgive us for clinging to material things.  Give us a generous and cheerful heart, sharing our blessings with others.  Help us hold the things of this world loosely as we pursue You, allowing Your goodness to flow through us to others.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalm 65:1-13, Proverbs 11:23

Daily Verse: “The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.” Prov. 11:23

Righteous hope.

Doing the right thing repeatedly develops strong character and exemplifies hope.  Eventually, wrong actions receive just rewards.  But taking steps of faith means having hope for the results of our efforts.

Obedience to God demands that we put our desires aside and do what the Lord wants.  Forgiving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, telling the truth, guarding our hearts, and capturing wayward thoughts all lead to righteous living and require intention.

Believing in Jesus begins the journey to righteous living.  We must put Christ first in our thoughts and actions to live for Him each day.  Our hope comes from trusting that God will bless our efforts, even when we fail.

Good comes to those who pursue Christ, our best days ahead of us.  But the wicked will experience God’s wrath because of their choices. 

With Christ, hope exists.  Without Him, it doesn’t.

Lord, forgive our poor choices.  Please help us become more like Christ as we strive to obey His commands.  Search our hearts and reveal areas we need to give to You.  Let us represent You well today. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 32:1-33:39, Luke 4:31-5:11, Psalm 64:1-10, Proverbs 11:22

Daily Verse: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.” Prov. 11:22

Value brings discretion.

Lacking respect for oneself leads to poor decisions.  A beautiful woman who doesn’t think she has value will lower her moral sensibility and open the door for unchaste behavior.  Just like a pig doesn’t know its value, neither does a person with low self-esteem.

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Our value comes from God, created in His image; each of us has a purpose, everyone matters.  God doesn’t make junk; He cares what we do with our lives.  The Lord wants us to live life to the fullest in Him. We can only accomplish God’s will when we understand His desires.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

You matter to God; what you do matters to Him.  Outward circumstances don’t determine worth.  The Lord made you for a purpose that only you can fulfill.

Lord, forgive us for underestimating our value.  Please help us understand how much we mean to You.  As we pursue You today, let us embrace the love You offer, sharing it with all we meet.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalm 63:1-11, Proverbs 11:20-21

Daily Verse: “Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.” Prov. 11:21

Actions have consequences.

Our world today struggles to take responsibility for our actions. God knows all perspectives, understanding we all have sinful tendencies that come out. Accepting our imperfections, as well as others, helps us find the truth through Jesus. 

Christ’s forgiveness of our sins delivers us from death. No longer do we need to fear the ultimate punishment for our misdeeds. But we will experience consequences in this life. 

Racking up credit card debt in my twenties meant I suffered the consequences in my thirties as I worked to pay it off, unable to do things because of my sin. But through that period, God grew me closer to Him as I learned to apply Biblical principles to my life.

Jesus delivers us from our sins. People who don’t choose Christ will experience eternity separated from Him.  But placing our faith in God gives us hope for a better tomorrow and saves us from our sinful ways.

Lord, thank You for Jesus, who saves us from ourselves. As we walk with Christ, help us become more like Him, leaving our sinful ways behind us as we strive to honor and serve You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 28;16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalm 62:1-12, Proverbs 11:18-19

Sow sure rewards.

Whatever seeds you plant determines the type of fruit you will produce. If you want to yield the fruits of the spirit, you must first sow the seeds:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23

Divine assistance helps us plant seeds of righteousness, which comes with a sure reward. When we scatter seeds of the Spirit everywhere we go, we will enjoy the fruit it produces. But if the flesh controls our actions, we will experience conflict and chaos.

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Gal. 5:18

Submission to Christ allows His Spirit to lead us, helping us become more like Jesus. Instead of allowing the flesh to guide us, God takes us on a different journey that comes with sure rewards.

Lord, forgive us for succumbing to fleshly desires. Help us become more like Christ as we let the Spirit lead us, planting seeds of love everywhere we go. Let us produce sure rewards in all we do. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 26:52-28:15, Luke 3:1-22, Psalm 61:1-8, Proverbs 11:16-17

Daily Verse: “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” Prov. 11:17

Kindness benefits.

Married to the kindest person I know; he’s helped me become nicer. Bitter and resentful, my life didn’t go as planned; I didn’t realize its impact.

“You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar,” Mom often said.

People around me could see the bitter root planted in my childhood as I tried to make sense of my dad’s illness and death, causing me to alienate people from my life. 

“The only one you’re hurting is yourself,” Mom would say when I reacted with meanness instead of kindness.

Thankfully, coming back to Jesus, and applying His principles to my life, helped reveal the bitterness and remove it over time. And marrying the love of my life, kindness personified, helped me become even better.

Cruelty doesn’t win respect, but kindness does. Everyone has pain; mean actions don’t help. But acts of love and kindness cause people to blossom and grow. You have a choice, kindness or cruelty; both come with consequences.

Lord, forgive us for responding cruelly. Please help always respond with Christ’s loving-kindness. Given a choice, let us choose well, honoring You in all we do. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 26:1-51, Luke 2:36-52, Psalm 60:1-12, Proverbs 11:15

Daily Verse: “Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.” Prov. 11:15

Discernment brings security.

Making financial pledges with strangers, an unknown person can leave you holding the bag. Watching a recent episode of “Poker Face” on Peacock, the heroine picked up a hitchhiker in the mountains. Throughout the entire episode, her car companion kept stealing her wallet.

Discernment means the ability to judge well. Applying sound judgment to financial decisions means taking emotion from the equation, objectively analyzing the situation, and seeking wise counsel.

As Christ’s followers, God calls us to help those in need. Unfortunately, scammers often portray themselves as needy. In today’s world, they have more ways than ever to scam honest people out of their funds.

Before helping strangers, take time to do the research and gain as much information as possible. Use the tools God gives us to apply discernment in financial decisions.

Lord, forgive us for making pledges without considering the consequences. Please help us apply discernment to all aspects of our lives, making the best decisions with Your assistance. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalm 59:1-17, Proverbs 11:14

Daily Verse: “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Prov. 11:14

Develop wise counselors.

“Your suggestion to call the doc on call may have saved my life.  Thank you!” Read the text I sent to my friend, who gave me wise counsel when I didn’t know what to do.

Home alone, Ron dealing with another emergency, I didn’t know what to do about my swelling leg.  Having wise counselors in my life whose opinion I trust helped me weather the unexpected storm, leading me to seek the appropriate medical attention, which found and removed the life-threatening blood clot from my body.

Without wise counsel, people fall, but in an abundance of counselors, you will find safety.

Developing a network of trusted friends help you live life to the fullest, make better decisions, and create security in an insecure world. God never intended for us to live life alone; we need connection and community to create stable environments.

Surround yourself with wise counselors. Make better decisions with the help of God’s people.

Lord, forgive us for trying to do everything ourselves.  Please surround us with wise counselors to help us make better decisions and grow closer to You.  Thank You for giving us a community of believers to help us live life to the fullest. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 58:1-11, Proverbs 11:12-13

Daily Verse: “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” Prov. 11:13

Become trustworthy.

Today’s verse contrasts the difference between a trustworthy person and a gossip.  Don’t tell your tales to someone who can’t wait to spread juicy news.  People who can’t keep a secret give themselves away quickly.  If they share one secret, they will share them all.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Becoming a trustworthy person allows people a safe place to confess their sins and begin the path to healing.  Praying for someone’s struggles helps them grow in the Lord and overcome their mountains.

Create a safe environment for the people you love by keeping their secrets.  Give them someone to turn to during the battle.

Keep things covered and give people a safe place to spill their secrets.

Lord, forgive us when we’ve not kept secrets.  Please help us create safe environments for people to discuss their struggles.  In all things, let us honor and serve You well.  IJNIP. Amen