Honest Reflections

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

One-minute read.

Following God makes life easier. God has already decided most of the decisions we must make. Tell the truth, don’t steal, cheat, or covet. Worship the Lord, take Sundays off, and prioritize your relationships. Don’t spend more than you make, pay off your debts, work as if to God, and on and on the list goes.

Reverential fear of the Creator motivates us to obey His commands, which leads to a fountain of life and victory over sin and death. Because of a deep respect for the Savior, we trust His promises that come to fruition in our obedience. Not only does God promise eternal life and victory over death, but He gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding, fruitful lives that produce much, and strength to face whatever comes our way.

Living waters flow from the Savior, His light shining brightly for all to see. Ever moving and changing, the adventure begins when we take our first step of faith, which never ends and always propels us forward. Vibrant, energizing, and invigorating, life with Jesus never gets old, only getting better and better with each day. Abundant life through Christ comes when we trust the Savior.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us living water through Christ, strengthening and empowering us to live boldly for Him. Please help us obey Your commands and make the right decisions based on Your word.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Everyone experiences shame because we all make poor decisions at some point. Sometimes, things happen to us that we blame ourselves for, but we shouldn’t, victims of someone else’s actions. Jesus doesn’t want us to live in the past; He wants us to focus on the hope of the future. When we follow the Savior, we can make different decisions and not accept blame for things we shouldn’t, choosing His way instead of ours.

Not fearing what others think happens when we understand our identity in Christ. The Lord knows our past mistakes, forgives them, and shows us a different way to live. Only when we accept and receive the Savior’s unconditional love can we begin to look through the lens of our Creator.

Confessing our sins to Jesus allows us to access His grace. Like the woman caught in adultery, once convicted of our misdeeds, Christ tells us the same thing: “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). As we learn God’s ways, He doesn’t condemn us for not knowing but forgives us and asks us to stop doing it.

Let go of shame; embrace the new life found in Christ. Developing a relationship with the Savior helps you respond as He did. Jesus responded with love, inviting people to follow Him and experience the peace and hope only the Lord can provide.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for removing our shame and giving us a new identity in Christ. Please help us embrace the path You have for us, living in obedience to You as we follow the Savior.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

At the precise time Jesus entered the world in human form, the angels made a bold proclamation:

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”

Christ didn’t discriminate, entering the world for everyone regardless of skin color. My Mom had a saying I loved, “When you turn people inside out, we all look the same.” Amen to that, Madre!

God judges by our hearts, knowing our innermost thoughts and feelings. Our intentions matter more than the outcome. If we strive to serve the Creator, obey His commands, and apply them to our lives, the Lord blesses our efforts.

Jesus invites everyone into a relationship with Him. One decision changes the trajectory of our lives, giving us hope and helping us find our purpose. Accepting the Lord’s gift frees us from our past, allowing us to try repeatedly; His mercy never ends.

Live fear-free by trusting the Savior. Receive the Lord’s gift of salvation and experience freedom like never before. In Him, we have all we need.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for sending Jesus to connect us with You. Please help us accept His gift and share it with others. Let us become more like the Savior with every passing day.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute devotion.

Watching “The Reason” on Pureflix, the movie revolves around bad things happening to good people, a question I often receive. As the story unfolds, a six-year-old struggles with leukemia, eventually losing his battle. But a miracle tells his mother that her son lives in Jesus’s arms.

Whether here on earth or in heaven, life in abundance happens with Jesus. Understanding the why of complex situations can consume us. Instead of looking for answers we may never receive, God asks us to “only believe.” Our faith gives us the strength to persevere amid life’s difficulties.

“Only believe,” the young cancer patient says to his mother, reading the words painted on a brick building.

With a look of hope, the mother repeats her son’s words, and she becomes visibly stronger as she relies on her faith to persevere. The Lord provides what we need when we need it. One day, we will all receive the call to return home to Him. Loved ones will go before us, and we will miss their presence on earth, but with faith in Jesus, we will one day meet them again if we only believe.

Trust in Jesus; give Him your fears as you place your faith in the Savior. Allow Him to strengthen you on the journey.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us the strength to persevere when we don’t understand. Please help us believe when our faith falters. Let us live in Your arms, allowing You to show us the way.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God takes pleasure in giving us access to His kingdom. Not wanting any to perish, the Lord invites all people, through faith in His Son, but not everyone accepts. Choosing their path and going astray doesn’t take much effort. Even as a follower of Jesus, I can stray from the righteous path. Having the Shepherd in my life means when I do falter, the Lord helps me find my way again.

Moving forward into the unknown can evoke feelings of fear and anxiety. But our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to worry; He wants us to follow and trust in Him. Taking one step at a time, the Lord leads us on our path of purpose, helping us fulfill our mission in life before He calls us back home to Him.

Currently, in limbo, Ron and I await the closing date of our new home. God’s guidance has led us to make a significant life change, and we both feel excited but apprehensive about what will come. As we try to wait well, seeking the Lord’s peace that surpasses all understanding, we’ve begun packing, trusting God to work out any problems that might arise. The Lord doesn’t want us to fret; He wants us to trust, so we do, one day at a time.

The one-time decision to follow Jesus requires a daily commitment to seeking and finding His direction. As we pursue Him, God leads us to our destiny.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for gifting us Your kingdom through Jesus. Please help us follow closely, living boldly for Christ and trusting Your guidance one day at a time.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Jesus came as a messenger of peace, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy that the king of Isreal would appear in humility, without pomp and circumstance (Zech. 9:9). If the Lord had come any other way, we wouldn’t have recognized Him as God. The ordinary became extraordinary with Christ.

Referring to the city of Jerusalem, “daughter of Zion,” personifies it. As the people cried out “Hosanna,” the Hebrew expression for “Save now,” Jesus did precisely that, ending Passover week on the cross, then walking out of the tomb three days later, offering salvation for all who follow Him.

People who oppose Christ never find the peace He offers. Living for themselves, bitterness and hatred brew in their hearts as they ponder their plights. With no control over life, they flounder in the darkness, refusing to turn to the light. Only Jesus can save any of us from ourselves. Following His way means denying ours. Life with Christ means picking up our cross, following Him, and becoming more like the Savior as we leave our selfish ways behind.

The Prince of Peace came to save the world. All who come to Him will receive the gift He offers. Not by our might but the Lord’s.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for the peace You offer. Please help us accept and share it with all we meet. More of You, less of us, as we strive to follow and obey.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Nothing gives me more comfort than today’s verse. I repeat the words often, and “take heart” has become my lifeline. Jesus overcame any troubles we will ever face. Suffering a brutal crucifixion, the Lord defeated death and gave us a way to overcome our sins.

Relying on Jesus’s promise gives us strength to persevere. We can keep going when the world crushes in on us, knowing the Cross gives us victory. Defeating death, life doesn’t end when we take our last breath but begins anew in the heavenly realm. Our address may change, but life continues.

Jesus never promised an easy life; He told us we would have problems. But the Savior gives us everything we need to overcome our tribulations. Fear has no place in our lives as we cling to the Lord and let Him lead the way. In Christ, we find victory. Walking out of the tomb, the Miracle Maker defeated our greatest challenge, showing us the way to glory when we place our faith in Him.

Today’s troubles won’t last long. I can’t even remember my problems from this day a year ago; they’ve already passed as I face the issues of this day. A year from now, I’ll face different tribulations, which too shall pass. Jesus overcame our mountains long ago. He wants us to take heart and lean into Him, allowing the Prince of Peace to guide and direct our lives through today’s challenges.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for overcoming our troubles and giving us a new way of life. Please help us cling to You, allowing Your peace to rule our lives. Let Your light shine brightly through us as we follow You.
IJNIP. Amen