Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11, Romans 7:1-13, Psalm 17:1-15, Proverbs 19:22-23

Daily Verse: “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” Prov. 19:23

Safety and contentment.

Resting in God’s will means trusting whatever comes our way; the Lord has a plan. Instead of trying to figure out all the answers, we trust the Maker’s ways.

“If we knew everything that God knows, we would answer our prayers exactly like God does.” Dr. Kim Kimberling

The quote from Ron and I’s marriage devotional fills my screen as a constant reminder of God’s sovereignty. We don’t have all the answers to our situations, but from God’s view, it all makes sense.

Accepting that trouble happens, we will have dark and light days, and that in the end, God calls us home and helps us find contentment in today. The struggles of this world will one day pass away, and we will live in the King’s presence forever.

God’s in control. Rest in His sovereignty, and trust the Lord’s plan. Safety and contentment come when we center our lives on Jesus, following Him and living in His shadow.

Lord, thank You for guiding and directing our days. Help us submit to Your will, despite our circumstances, trusting the plan You have for us. Fill our hearts with safety and contentment as we lean into You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17, Romans 6:1-23, Psalm 16:1-11, Proverbs 19:20-21

Daily Verse: “Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future.” Prov. 19:20

Accept instruction.

Ask for help. Small pieces of advice make huge differences. Frustrated with my golf swing, I booked a lesson with the pro.

“I’m hitting behind the ball and not getting it up in the air,” I said at the beginning of the lesson.

After watching me hit a few balls, Owen slightly adjusted my swing.

 “Move the club to the center of your stance, now drop your hands. You will begin to hit the ball more right as you adjust, but you won’t hit behind it.”

Worth every penny I paid for the lesson. In the learning curve, adjusting to the new technique, I’m hitting the ball more consistently, not hitting behind, and slowly beginning to straighten out my shot.

One hour of listening to advice from a pro, accepting his tips, and incorporating them into my game gave me wisdom for the future.

Seek wise advice. Apply it to your life and change your future. God’s word holds the best advice you will find anywhere.

Lord, thank You for giving us instructions on how to live. Help us listen well to Your guidance and apply it to our lives. Let us gain wisdom from You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30, Romans 5:6-21, Psalm 15:1-5, Proverbs 19:18-19

Daily Reading: “A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.” Prov. 19:19

Hot temper.

“Pay the penalty” implies legal trouble. Hot-tempered people find themselves dealing with the law and need bailing out. The Proverb warns if you help anger-controlled individuals out of their woes, you will have to do it repeatedly.

Explosive tempers seem to have short fuses, but a lot of times, the ticking time bomb smoldered before going off. Learning to deal with the smoldering embers and not allow them to gather into a flame helps control the powerful emotion.

On the other hand, some people do have short fuses and explode quickly. Either way, the damage caused by the explosion can cause extensive damage to them and anyone in their range.

Start with prayer, tread lightly, and don’t enable the behavior. We can’t control someone else’s temper; only they can. And hot-tempered people must want to own it and desire to change, seeking the necessary help.

Anger destroys, but God can do miracles with a heart turned to Him.

Lord, help us deal with anger, whether ours or another’s. Soften our hearts and give us the tools to confront the powerful emotion and not let it control us. Give us victory over the fear behind the sentiment. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34, Romans 4:13-5:5, Psalm 14:1-7, Proverbs 19:17

Daily Verse: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Prov. 19:17

Generous living.

“You can’t out give God,” I say every time Ron and I discuss giving. He’s heard the saying so many times; Ron often says it for me. When I started tithing in my late 20’s, I began trying to outgive God, and haven’t succeeded yet.

My business partner works with the homeless at a local church. Of all the things I donate, they love reading glasses the most. Whenever I give, she tells me how much they loved whatever I sent. Shoes, underwear, and t-shirts always have the highest demand.

God’s rewards come in various ways. After paying the bills from my recent hospital stay, Ron and I thank God for insurance and good health. Praise the Lord for healthy bodies that allow us to serve Him.

Happiness doesn’t come on a dollar bill. True joy comes from serving the Lord and putting into practice His commands. The rewards we enjoy for living a generous life have more value than money. Once we start counting the blessings, we’ll find the list never ends.

Lord, thank You for our blessings. Let Your gifts pour through us to those around us. Give us hearts to live generous lives, helping those in need when we see them. Help us give freely and without reserve. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11, Romans 4:1-12, Psalm 13:1-6, Proverbs 19:15-16

Daily Verse: “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” Prov. 19:15

Wasted time.

Signifying lethargy, slothfulness wastes time and loses money. In Hebrew, the word means complete inactivity. Instead of providing for themselves and their family, slothful people sleep.

Laziness drives me crazy. Working in one of my larger stores during my retail days, I had the entire department torn apart. Merchandise stacked around fixtures, waiting for placement, described the work ahead of me.

“I hate it when there’s nothing to do,” the young associate working the department said to me.

My mind raged; you can’t see one thing to do in this merchandise nightmare. She stood at the register the entire time, not once offering to help me—one of my most memorable ten-hour days, working with a slothful person who had no motivation.

Laziness doesn’t provide anything for anyone, but hard work has many rewards and fulfills your basic needs.

Lord, forgive us for our laziness. Thank You for the ability to work and the provision that comes from it. Motivate us to work hard, reaping the wards from it as we provide for ourselves and our families. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading:

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32 Romans 3:9-31 Psalm 12:1-8 Proverbs 19:13-14

Daily Verse: “House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Prov. 19:14

Special gift.

At the center of a good marriage, you will find God. Scripture calls prudent wives a special gift from the Lord. When I think of the best spouses in scripture, my mind always goes to Ruth.

Moving to a foreign land, widowed and penniless, Ruth followed God because of her mother-in-law’s influence. Once in Bethlehem, Ruth worked hard to provide for them. Gathering leftover wheat stocks, she toiled in the hot sun from morning to night during harvest. And she gained the attention of Boaz, the field’s owner and a kinsmen redeemer.

Boaz notices Ruth’s integrity and noble character. As a kinsmen redeemer, a distant relative to her husband, the prosperous farmer had a responsibility to marry Ruth, redeeming her from the life of widowhood. Their love story remains one of my favorites.

God gave Boaz a special gift when He brought Ruth into his life. Together, they produced Obed, father of Jesse and grandfather to King David. Jesus’s direct descendent, a wife of noble character, exemplifies a prudent wife, a special gift from God.

Lord, thank You for the example Ruth sets for us. Help us become more like her, prudent wives to our husbands. Let our special gifts bless our spouses and marriages as we center our lives on You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30, Romans 2:25-3:8, Psalm 11:1-7, Proverbs 19:10-12

Daily Verse: “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Prov. 19:11

Nature of patience.

Overlooking offenses takes work. When someone wounds us, letting it go means making a conscious decision not to demand payment, pray for that person and ask God to bless them. Wisdom leads the way in not taking offense.

“Take no offense” is my three-word prayer for when I feel the sting of someone else’s actions. “You don’t know what’s going on in their life. Hurting people hurt people.” My inner dialogue to let go of offenses continues. Coaching myself helps me overlook offenses. 

Wisdom yields patience by helping us control our emotions and not responding immediately to the offense. Instead of striking back, wisdom takes the time to pray and seek Godly direction before responding.   Including God in the conversation always leads to a different outcome than our fleshly desires.   Lord’s insight guides us to patient wisdom.

Without offense, we can’t practice God’s grace. Doing something repeatedly helps us become better at it. As long as we live on Earth, we will encounter offenses, but we can choose how we respond. Let Godly wisdom lead the way.

Lord, forgive our rash responses. Help us overlook offenses with patient wisdom. Give us an extra measure of grace for those who cause us pain. Let us become more like Jesus as we practice responding like Him. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17, Romans 2:1-24, Psalm 10:16-18, Proverbs 19:8-9

Daily Verse: “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.” Prov. 19:9

Will perish.

Telling lies causes punishment, and whoever pours them out will perish. False tales don’t pass the test of time. Truth always reveals itself, and the lies fall away.

Spending the first twelve years of my life in a small community taught me this lesson. I always got caught, no matter what the crime. Everyone knew my parents, and so when little Bethie strayed off the straight and narrow, someone inevitably turned me into Mom or Dad.

Liars will get their just rewards. God knows everything, especially the lies we tell. We can’t fool the Lord or anyone else; eventually, our false tales will get exposed, ruining our reputations and causing consequences we won’t want to endure.

Strive to tell the truth. Set an example for the fallen word. Value integrity and reap the rewards of honest living. The good thing about telling the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. But when you spin tall tales, you must keep track of who you said what, which eventually will lead to your demise.

Lord, forgive us for lying. Give us the strength and courage, to tell the truth always. Let the Holy Spirit guide and direct our words, helping us become more like Christ, who came to tell the truth. In all things, may You receive the honor and glory. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36, Romans 1:18-32, Psalm 10:1-15, Proverbs 19:6-7

Daily Verse: “Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.” Prov. 19:6

Influential friendships.

In the same vein as yesterday’s devotional, people seek influential friendships for what they can gain. Gift givers, especially in business and politics, gain allies to achieve their goals.

During my days as a Merchandise Coordinator for Nautica, we gave things away, especially in the early days. Water bottles, notepads, free merchandise, floating key chains, on and on the list went. Associates loved to see me coming when I had gifts in hand. One of my favorites, a striped tote bag, I still carry. Not only did others receive treats, but so did I.  One of the many reasons I loved working for Nautica.

Generosity receives favor. People want to do things for those who reward their efforts. Feeling appreciated motivates people. In my sixteen years at Nautica, they never stopped showing appreciation for my work.

Reward people’s efforts with gifts that show appreciation, and you will develop loyal friendships. People seek friendships with those who give gifts.

Lord, no one gives better gifts than You.  Thank You for showering us with blessings; let us seek You first before anyone else. Help us share what You give freely with those around us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17, Romans 1:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, Proverbs 19:4-5

Daily Verse: “Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.” Prov. 19:4

Effects of wealth.

People chase after others who they think have wealth, hoping to gain something from them. However, people avoid the poor, afraid they might want something from them.

Relationships built on status don’t last; money comes and goes as quickly as the wind. The stock market booms one day and crashes the next. People who place their security in wealth don’t have a foundation they can trust.

“Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Prov. 22:2

Don’t chase after people with wealth; pursue God, and you will find a firm foundation. Looks deceive. In “The Millionaire Next Door,” the authors describe them as people who don’t wear fancy clothes, drive older cars, and don’t spend every dime they make. Looking at them, you wouldn’t imagine the wealth they possess. Flashy cars and big houses often mean large debt and little savings.

Don’t chase wealth; chase Jesus. In Him, you will find a firm foundation that survives whatever storm comes your way.

Lord, forgive our greed. Help us become content and not look for security in the mighty dollar. Let us honor and serve You in all things.  Let our finances reflect our relationship with You and the firm foundation You provide. IJNIP. Amen