Honest Reflections

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

One-minute read.

Understanding our value in the Lord’s eyes helps us speak confidently. With God as our protector, what can man do to us? David, a valiant warrior, faced Goliath confidently because he knew the Lord battled with him (1 Samuel 17). Before every skirmish, the shepherd boy consulted God and didn’t move without his Protector.

Think about the last time you rushed into a situation without consulting the Lord. How did it go? Not well for me. When planning for 2025, I didn’t have any leadings from the Lord, so I made my plan. And God laughed. The Lord changed my trajectory two weeks into the new year and gave me an entirely different path.

Let the Lord help you in whatever you do. Turn to Him for guidance, wait for His leading, then follow God wherever He takes you. Start with the Lord, and you can speak confidently about what’s to come. No matter how the Almighty guides you, He will provide all your needs, protect you from your enemies, and grant you victory.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for helping us deal with life’s dilemmas. Please guide and direct our paths as we take steps of faith and follow You. Grant us victory over our enemies, as You did David. Let us speak confidently with You as our Helper.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Often, when people don’t understand our actions, they result in persecution. Following Jesus calls us to live counterculturally, like a salmon swimming upstream. People’s defenses cause them to react in hurtful ways.

Soldier mentality, a term author Julia Galef uses to describe people’s thinking, summarizes it well. Instead of seeking truth, people defend their beliefs against what they see as threats. The truth of the gospel threatens non-believers’ perspectives, resulting in persecution.

Jesus experienced this when arrested and persecuted for His teachings. Dubbing Him “King of the Jews,” the people cried for His crucifixion. Beaten and bloodied, the Lord carried His cross and received the punishment He didn’t deserve, Christ forgave His persecutors for “they knew not what they did” (Luke 23:34). Even on the cross, Jesus didn’t show fear, nor let them trouble Him, trusting His Father.

Persecution comes when people don’t understand or want to know. Challenging their beliefs puts them on the defensive and results in poor actions. But by standing firm in the Lord, we will experience His blessing and salvation. Man can do nothing to us when we rely on God’s divine protection and trust His promises.

Stand firm on the Rock today. Have no fear; let nothing trouble you; instead, trust in the Lord’s promises and let Him guide you on the path of righteousness.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us a firm foundation on which to stand. As we trust in You, let us face persecution with love and grace. Help us live fearlessly and trouble-free as we follow You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Divine vindication brings cheer to the heart. When God rescues us from ourselves or the actions of others, it lightens our souls and brings joy to us. Only the Lord understands the cares we have and how to console us in our despair.

Reading Genesis and the story of Jacob and Esau, I feel bad for the burly older brother when his twin steals his blessing from their father, Isaac. As the story continues and Jacob leaves because of his deceitful actions, the deceptive twin finds himself at the mercy of Laban, the father of Rachel, whom Jacob desperately loves.

The young man readily agrees when Laban promises Jacob, his daughter, in return for seven years of labor. But when the time comes to take Rachel as his wife, Laban deceives Jacob, giving him Leah, the older sister, instead. As a result, Jacob becomes the victim of deception, just like he did to Esau. What goes around comes around, and divine justice comes in mysterious but effective ways. Jacob learned a valuable lesson, which eventually helped restore his relationship with Esau, who forgave him.

God loves us all, and His divine justice brings joy to our hearts. He helps us overcome our sinful ways and become more like Christ. Understanding our souls, the Lord knows exactly what we need to bring cheer to our hearts.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for knowing our innermost beings and what we need to console our hurting hearts. Please help us give our pain and disappointment to You, allowing You to bring divine vindication and healing to our souls.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Delighting in the Lord’s commandments gives me peace. Living by God’s principles relieves my pressure. I don’t have to rely on my limited knowledge because I trust in the Lord’s all-knowing sovereignty. The Creator has a 360-degree view of past, present, and future. He knows the ins and outs of every situation, whether we think so or not. And so, when the Lord gives us a command, we can trust it.

For instance, forgiving others frees us from the hurt and pain of the offense, helps us pray for the other party, and maintains peace in our hearts. When a close friend hurt me with her actions, I felt the pain and shed tears over the incident. But because of the Healer’s command to forgive, I began praying for her, which helped me forgive her and gain a new perspective on the situation. Instead of feeling angry, I felt empathy, and God showed me how I could serve and support my friend. The Prince of Peace restored my soul, and His commands greatly delighted me.

God never promised a rose garden, but He did commit to walking with us on life’s journey. We can live abundantly through the Lord and enjoy His blessings as we delight in our Father’s commandments.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us a guidebook for life, filled with Your commandments, which we can delight in. Please help us obey quickly and receive the blessings of obedience.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Proverbs deal with simple truths that convey the consequences of right or wrong actions. Called an aphorism, the memorable expressions typically get passed down by tradition from generation to generation. Many sayings today, such as pride goeth before a fall, come directly from the Bible.

Fear of the Lord means reverential respect for our heavenly Father, which motivates obedience and thus gives us safety and contentment. For example, in my twenties, I had a distorted view of sex and relationships, which brought me much heartache.

Tired of living in the pit, I turned to the Lord and followed His plan, which required abstinence. I found safety and contentment, no longer getting involved in unhealthy relationships, and developed a respect for God and myself as I began to understand His love for me in a new way, valuing myself as the Lord does.

God doesn’t give us commands to make life boring, but so we can have it to the fullest. Following the direction found in scripture helps us have healthy relationships, robust finances, and fruitful living as we submit to the Lord’s will.

Proverbs leads us on the path of righteousness as we fear the Lord and discover rest in Him. God does the heavy lifting as we submit and follow Him.

Prayer:

Lord,

Thank You for Your word, which gives us direction. Please help us obey the wisdom in the scriptures, giving You the most profound respect. Bless our efforts as we follow You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Jacob means “follower, replacer, one who follows at the heal.”¹ And Jeshurun means “upright.”² God affirms the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah: Even though they are sinful, redemption comes through the Lord.

Made in God’s image, we don’t possess His perfection. Humanity comes with flesh that desires things not of the Lord. Why the Creator made us this way, I don’t completely understand. Without choice, we can’t love, grow or mature. Learning from past mistakes creates unforgettable lessons that push us forward and help us become more like Jesus.

Way Maker, the Lord rains down blessings upon us that provide direction, give hope, and propel us along the journey. When we stand before the Red Sea, God parts it for us. Nothing we do can save us; Jesus, our salvation, sent from above to guide us on the path of righteousness, leads the way.

Forming us in our mother’s womb, the Lord created us with purpose. Living our lives for Him, following closely at the Savior’s heels, shines light into the dark world. Like moths to a flame, Christ’s Spirit draws people to us, curious at our choices in the face of adversity, mystified by our peace that surpasses all understanding and confounded over our confidence in what we can’t see.

Trust the Maker’s promise to help you. Lean into Him today for strength and support. Follow closely at Jesus’s heels, mimicking His actions. Allow Your light to shine brightly as you change the world, one act of love at a time.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for forming us in our mother’s womb and creating us for a purpose only we can fulfill. Please guide our steps, strengthen our spirit, and let us fulfill the purpose You have for us.
IJNIP. Amen

1. NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan. ↩︎
2. NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan. ↩︎

One-minute read.

Placing our trust in Jesus gives us divine protection. I envision myself sitting beside a campfire, the Lord’s angels surrounding me, their wings protecting me from the evil lurking in the woods behind them. My love of camping and knowledge of the existing perils gives me the vision.

Collier-Seminole State Park, on the west coast of Florida, at the tip of the Everglades, has abundant wildlife. Upon entering the campground, signs warn of predators: bears, panthers, and alligators. Thick foliage surrounds the campsites, and bugs swarm as the night descends. In the murky night air, my imagination can go wild, and fear can grip me.

But then I think of the Lord’s presence surrounding me, His angels protecting me, and I place my trust in Him, not my imagination. Whatever scares us, God has the solution. The Lord protects His children. Seeking God’s will and obeying His commands gives us divine security, allowing us to live fearlessly for Him.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for surrounding us with Your angels and protecting us from the things that go bump in the night. Please help us live fearlessly for You, boldly following Your lead.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Reverential fear of the Lord means shrinking in fear and drawing close in awe. We must understand that the Lord means what He says and will do it, but we also become one when we walk in step with Him.

In 1 Samuel, the Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant, the visual representation of God’s presence to the Israelites, and experience heartache as a result. Wanting to get rid of it, they place the Ark on a cart and send it back to Israel. When David sends men to retrieve it, they do what the Philistines did, putting it on a cart for transport, which results in the death of Uzzah, who touched it.

God gave specific instructions for transporting the Ark, but neither the Philistines nor David followed them, and they suffered the consequences. Only when David showed reverential fear for the Lord and followed his instructions to the letter did the Ark return to its rightful place, and God’s blessings abounded in Israel.

The Lord gives us commands to protect us, not harm us. If we don’t follow them, we will suffer the consequences. But when we obey God, we become more like Jesus and draw closer to Him. Shrink from disobedience and draw close by seeking and following the Lord’s will.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for showing us what reverential fear means. Please help us obey Your commands and follow You closely, allowing us to become more like Jesus daily.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

During my single years, I wanted to have someone call me theirs. I remember the nights, laying alone in my bed, tears streaming down my face, loneliness enfolding me in its arms. But then I discovered Proverbs 31:10-31, twenty-two verses from Solomon’s mom on what kind of wife he should find. Bathsheba’s words gave me direction.

Instead of focusing on what I didn’t have, I began to focus on what I did have: God, the best husband a girl could ever want. I started working on my character, applying the wisdom in Bathsheba’s words to my life. The Lord became my constant companion, calling me by name and providing everything I needed in Him. The Lord did bless me with a wonderful spouse, but first, He transformed me, preparing me for marriage.

“You’re the icing on the cake of what I already had,” I told Ron.

Drawing closer to the Lord and becoming His helped me not put unrealistic expectations on people. I don’t expect Ron to fulfill my needs; that’s God’s role. Taking the pressure off my husband allows me to enjoy his imperfections and partner with Him in our journey to serve the Lord, who called us by name and has a purpose for us.

The Lord knows your name; He calls you His. Lean into the Creator today and let Him provide for all your needs.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for calling us by name and making us Yours. When doubt and despair attack us, God remind us of Your companionship in our lives, Jehovah Shamman, the Lord ever-present.
IJNIP. Amen