Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Micah 5:1-7:20, Revelation 7:1-17, Psalm 135:1-21, Proverbs 30:5-6

Daily Verse: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Prov. 30:5

Flawless word.

Trustworthy purity, God’s word has no deceit or falsity in it, flawless in every way. Because we can trust the Lord’s word, we can take refuge in it, finding security in His promises.

“Your Bibles printed on paper are a blessing, but to have the Scriptures written on the heart is far better.” Charles Spurgeon

Writing God’s word on our hearts takes intentional meditation and memorization of His word. Not one of my strengths, I constantly work on inscribing scripture on my soul. Screenshotting a verse in today’s technological world lets me save it on my phone, make it my wallpaper, and learn it. As I move through whatever, God’s word guides me.

Imprinting scripture on your heart will lead you to the truth. God’s word opens our eyes to imperfections we can’t see in ourselves. Accepting our flaws deepens the desire for Jesus’ perfection, as He covers our sins and makes us new in Him.

Seek refuge in God’s truth and find peace.

Lord, forgive us our errant ways. Let us add nothing to Your word, accepting its truth and relishing in the security we find in it. Guide and direct us in all our ways as we pursue You with our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Micah 1:1-4:13, Revelation 6:1-17, Psalm 134:1-3, Proverbs 30:1-4

Daily Verse: “The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.” Prov. 30:1

Honest confessions.

Agur, the writer of today’s verse, confesses his weariness. In the verses that follow, he laments his shortcomings. Lack of understanding and the inability to learn wisdom and knowledge of God tire Agur out.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Isaiah’s words often run through my mind. More things happen in life that I don’t understand than I do. Bad things happen to good people every day with no explanation. Sometimes, our hard work doesn’t yield results, and life seems to mimic a hamster running endless circles on an exercise wheel.

Faith in God trusts His ways even when we don’t understand. Working all things to the good, the Creator does have a plan unfolding.

Trust the process.

Lord, forgive us for wearing ourselves trying to do things You never wanted us to do. Help us relax and trust Your plan for our lives. Allow us to accept our thoughts will never match Yours. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jonah 1:1-4:11, Revelation 5:1-14, Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 29:26-27

Daily Verse: “Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.” Prov. 29:26

True justice.

Ultimately, God doles out justice. And we may disagree with the Lord’s actions. Cozying up to someone in authority to get what you want does no good if God Almighty has a different course of action.

When I flunked calculus during my long and arduous journey through college, I tried persuading my professor to give me a passing grade.

“Sometimes you need a kick in the butt, other times a pat on the back. Right now, you need a kick in the butt.”

My professors’ words rang true, and God’s justice for my lack of effort prevailed. As a result, I retook calculus and worked a little harder.

Doing the right thing and following God’s decrees takes more effort, but in the long run, it makes for a much smoother course. Don’t miscalculate and assume justice comes from an earthly ruler, directing supplication towards them, wasting time.

God decides consequences always has and always will.

Lord, forgive us for trying to manipulate outcomes. Give us the strength to take the high road, submitting our ways to You.  As we seek Your justice, let us find peace of heart. In all things, let our actions glorify You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Obadiah 1:1-21, Revelation 4:1-11, Psalm 132:1-18, Proverbs 29:24-25

Daily Verse: “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Prov. 29:25

True security.

Fearing other people traps you. Lord knows I’ve spent many years caged with fear of others’ opinions and attitudes. Becoming a devotional writer helps me to let go of those snares as I draw closer to Him.

Emailing Ron for the first time after we met took a tremendous amount of faith. Waiting anxiously for his reply, I kept reminding myself, “God loves you, even if Ron rejects you. You have all you need in Jesus.” Psalm 118:8 became my prayer mantra:

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”

Found in the middle of the Bible, David’s words give me peace. Man will always let you down, but God never will.

Live for the applause of nail-scarred hands, not the flawed thoughts of others. People create narratives; God reveals truth. Faith in the Creator brings proper security.

God’s unconditional love conquers all.

Lord, forgive us for worrying about what other people think of us more than what You think. Help us love ourselves as You intend, letting go of negative self-talk and replacing it with Your description of us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Amos 7:1-9:15, Revelation 3:7-22, Psalm 131:1-3, Proverbs 29:23

Daily Verse: “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Prov. 29:23

Pride and humility.

Nothing will bring one down faster than pride. For instance, my husband shot a perfect score in golf on the front nine this summer. Meaning he averaged par on every hole. In golf, each hole has a designated number of strokes to play, called par, something not easy to achieve. 

In Ron’s case, he had a bogey and a birdie. Golf lingo for one stroke over (bogie) and under (birdie) par, he achieved the golfer’s dream of shooting an even score. Ever since, my poor hubby has struggled with his golf game. Golf humbles people fast.

At the root of all sin resides pride. Gawa, the Hebrew word for pride in today’s verse, means majesty, glory, triumph, arrogance, conceit. Whenever we puff ourselves up because of an achievement, we can trust the bubble will break quickly. Hit a great shot and duff the next one; golf and life have much in common.

Holy Spirit sandpaper will keep us humble. Coming before the Maker, confessing our sins, and receiving His grace comes with a side of humility.

Lord, forgive us for becoming prideful. Help us to stay focused on You, remembering perfect doesn’t exist in this world, but Your grace and mercy do. Let us remain humble and hungry for more of You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Amos 4:1-6:14, Revelation 2:18-3:6, Psalm 130:1-8, Proverbs 29:21-22

Daily Verse: “Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.” Prov. 29:21

Spoiled grief.

Today’s verse addresses what happens when we pamper people, in this case, a servant. Downton Abby comes to mind, thinking of Robert James-Collier’s character, Thomas Barrow.    An underbutler with entitlement issues, Mr. Barrow’s insolence causes many conflicts in the popular series.

“Jesus wasn’t an enabler,” I often say. The Savior didn’t do the fishing for people; He taught them how to fish. When we pamper people in our lives, as much as our heart wants the best for them, we cause more harm than good.

Unfortunately, giving people all their worldly desires doesn’t make them happy because happiness doesn’t come from things. True joy comes from a heart in tune with God, confession cleansing our hearts and giving us the chance to try again. 

God never meant for us to have no trouble in this life. He promises we will have problems, but in Him, we can overcome anything.

Instead of fishing for people, teach them how to fish. Find enjoyment in the journey as you help others become the best version of themselves.

Lord, bless us with discernment in our relationships, helping others to thrive instead of causing them to flounder. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Amos 1:1-3:15, Revelation 2:1-17, Psalm 129:1-8, Proverbs 29:19-20

Daily Verse: “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Prov. 29:20

Rash speech.

God knows I struggle with rash speech, speaking without thinking first. Texting my lifelong friend for prayer support, I asked her to pray about a relationship issue.

“Haha!!! You make me laugh. You’re always in trouble with someone.”

“Yeah, because I got a big mouth. If only I could learn to keep it shut.”

How many times did my mother try to tell me? “Stop and Think!”  The words came from mom’s mouth often. I can see the frustrated look on her face, her hand on her jutted hip, and a high-pitched tone indicating her irritation and sadness that I hadn’t learned my lesson.

Learning to control the tongue takes help from the Lord and a lot of intentionality. Stop and think before speaking. Don’t let your words get you into trouble. Take it from someone who knows!

Lord, forgive us for speaking rashly. Please help us control our tongues, stopping and thinking before saying something that will hurt our relationships. Give us discernment to know what to say and what not to say. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Joel 1:1-3:21, Revelation 1:1-20, Psalm 128:1-6, Proverbs 29:18

Daily Verse: “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint,  but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Prov. 29:18

Divine revelation.

God gives us visions and divine revelations that spur us on our journey.   Praying over a stalemate situation in my business, God gave me a vision. Wanting to increase my space, the owner offered me an area two feet larger than mine for twice the cost; she didn’t realize the size. Feeling frustrated, I turned to God and received an aha moment. 

Instead of moving into one larger space, occupy two locations in the same store, equaling the bigger size and giving me more exposure. God’s divine revelation solved the problem for both of us, offering a compromise. Negotiations continue with the owner, but the Lord gave me a vision for how to move forward.

Seeking and obeying God leads to blessings. The Lord’s guidance gives us direction and helps us continue to become a new person in Christ. Obeying the Creator’s commands allows us to avoid heartache and pursue a life of righteousness. When we falter, we get up and try again.

Ask God for vision in your life. Seek the Lord’s direction, then follow it with all your heart.

Lord, forgive us for not seeking Your direction in our lives. As we turn to You, please give us a vision for our lives. Show us what You want us to do; lead us to where You want us to go. IJNIP. Amen

One minute late.

Daily Reading: Hosea 10:1-14:9, Jude 1:1-25, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 29:15-17

Daily Verse: “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” Prov. 29:15

Enjoyable behavior.

Disciplining children teaches them boundaries and enjoyable behavior. As a coach, I find kids love to test the limits, and once they know them, our relationship becomes more fun.

One of my favorite students, who I’ve taught for years, still pushes the limits with me, always seeking new ways to test me. But I love our blossoming relationship. She used to come to class and would never smile; now, her face lights up when she walks on the court. We still spend our lessons arguing, but she trusts my boundaries and knows they come with only good intentions.

Kids don’t know unless we teach them. I can’t imagine the difficulties in raising children to become independent. Making children self-sufficient requires discipline and sacrifice. As always, I pray for parents as they navigate the stormy waters that come with children.

Following Jesus teaches us how to love others, not enable them, and help them become the best version of themselves. Applying Christ’s teachings helps us learn to navigate life’s storms. Live fully in the Son’s shadow.

Lord, as always, I pray for parents and children. Please guide and direct them to discipline their kids and experience enjoyable behavior. Strengthen family bonds with healthy boundaries and hearts dedicated to You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Hosea 6:1-9:17, 3 John 1:1-15, Psalm 126:1-6, Proverbs 29:12-14

Daily Verse: “The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.” Prov. 29:13

Life from God.

Whether rich or poor, we all get our breath from the Lord. The balance in your bank account doesn’t determine your worth; God does. And the Lord loves you unconditionally, warts and all.

Our imperfections draw us closer to God as we allow Him to work in our weaknesses, turning them into strengths. Talking to a friend going through difficult times, she told me, “God doesn’t put anything in front of us we can’t handle.”

“You know, I thought that exact thing for years. My favorite aunt (whose heavenly birthday I celebrate as I write this) told me the same thing as we walked to my dad’s hospital bed when I was 16 to say goodbye.” For decades, I believed the lie so many of us do, but then God revealed the truth to me.

The Lord does give us more than we can handle because, in our desperation, we lean into His strength. If we could deal with everything independently, we wouldn’t need God. But the Creator never designed us to handle life on our own.

Rich and poor receive life from God and need Him to live it to the fullest!

Lord, forgive us for trying to live life on our own. Please strengthen us for the day ahead; use our weaknesses to glorify You.  Help us climb the mountains before us with Your power.  IJNIP. Amen