Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Persecuted without cause, the psalmist looks to the Lord for salvation. At the end of his rope, the writer feels useless and shriveled because of the onslaught of lies. He doesn’t doubt God will comfort him, but the author wonders how long he must wait for the Lord’s compassion.

We all have experienced wrongful persecution. Whether a misunderstanding or blatant lie, the pain cuts deep. Doubt about ourselves can cause us to falter, but with the Lord in our lives, we can hold on to Him. We can count on our Divine Protector to care for us by submitting ourselves to God.

Now, halfway through my fifties, I care less and less about people’s opinions of me. Wrongful accusations don’t bother me as much as they did. Only God’s opinion matters to me. He brings truth and teaches me that lies don’t last, nor do attacks.

Loving the Lord and people fulfills the Great Commandment and nourishes healthy relationships. Truth comes to all who follow Jesus. God comforts us in His time and way, constantly vigilant, never leaving nor forsaking us. Hold onto the Lord in your struggles. Keep the Son in your eyes, and trust Him to care for the rest.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for having our backs and knowing what we need. As we wait for Your comfort, please strengthen us for the challenges, allowing us to endure the pain.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Living under the microscope challenges me as an author who loves and writes about Jesus. No matter how much I adore the Savior, I still sin. Every day, I do things that require divine mercy. And people quickly remind me when I do, as if I don’t already know.

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”
Romans 14:13

Not creating stumbling blocks for others requires humility and constant connection with the Lord. I find myself confessing all day long. “Lord, forgive me for that thought.” “Lord, I’m sorry I said that.” “Lord, forgive me for doing that.” On and on the list goes of ways I must repent in 24 hours. The closer we draw to God, the more aware we become of our sin. Accepting our fleshly ways helps us live more blamelessly as we seek the Lord for help.

And when we remain connected to the Savior, people will notice and ask questions. Tell the truth. Share with them how God helps you through the day and how His forgiveness enables you to live blamelessly. Nothing we do can save us from sin; Jesus did it all for us on the cross.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, which makes us blameless before You. Please help us live humbly and closely connected to You, accepting our sinful nature and allowing You to cleanse us from it.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Meditate on God’s law, and you will find His mercy. Strength comes from belief. As we believe in the Savior and discover His promises, we will find what we need to persevere when persecuted. Mercy comes to those who seek the Lord.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18 KJV

All sin has pride at its roots. Since the pastor made that point in a message a few years ago, I’ve realized its truth. Thinking we achieve things on our own, without God’s help, will cause us to fall. Meditating on this precept has helped me recognize sin in my life, confess it to the Lord, and receive His mercy.

Meditating means ruminating over a specific passage, which allows you to apply it to your life. When other thoughts try to distract you, pull yourself back to God’s promise. You can control your thinking and choose to focus on the Lord through His word. Our connection to the Creator strengthens when we keep the Son in our eyes.

Pick one of God’s promises that applies to your life and meditate on it today. Any time the enemy tries to distract you, don’t let him. Stay focused on the Lord, and allow Him to lead you to victory.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for Your word, which gives us a way to control our thoughts and focus on You. Please help us meditate on Your promises today, not letting anything distract us from You.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Sometimes, God allows bad things into our lives to teach us lessons. A painful truth, the Creator knows we won’t learn any other way. The Lord never promised a rose garden, but He did promise never to leave nor forsake us. When we find ourselves in the fire, we have company.

“Look!” he told them, “I see four men walking untied and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the appearance of the fourth resembles a divine being.”
Daniel 3:25

When King Nebuchadnezzar threw Daniel and his friends into the fiery furnace for not worshipping him, God allowed it to happen. The blaze burned so hot that it killed the guards, who threw the men into the flames. But as the king watched, something miraculous happened: a fourth man appeared in the furnace, and the heat didn’t scorch them.

Because they endured the flames, Nebuchadnezzar ordered a decree that everyone must respect their God, “because there is no other God who can save like this” (Daniel 3:29). The Lord allowed fire into Daniel’s life. God’s servant went willingly into the flames, trusting the Lord to save him, one way or another.

Jesus comforted Daniel in the flames, and He will comfort you. Whatever God allows in your life, He walks through it with you. Trust the Savior when life’s fires engulf you, knowing He will keep you safe.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for walking with us through the fires of life. Please comfort us when we face trials, and remind us of Your presence.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God created you with love, fashioned for His purposes. When you look in the mirror today, ask the Lord for His perspective on you. The things you may not like about yourself, God loves. With care and provision, He made you, and the Creator doesn’t make junk.

In a world striving to identify itself, find your identity in Christ. Learn what God thinks of you and base your self-worth on His description. Jesus knowingly had His hands and feet pierced on the cross, dying a torturous death for you and me. The amount we pay for something determines its value, and the Savior gave it all for us. We have value and worth because of the Son.

Live your life for Christ, blessing Him with obedience. Ask the Lord to understand His laws as you strive to do them. The more you practice God’s ways, the brighter your light will shine, and the more people will notice. Like moths to a flame, they will want to know about the light they see in you.

Share God’s love with others by practicing His laws and having a ready answer on your lips when people notice. Shine bright in a dark world with the Lord as your Leader.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for creating us with love and precision to fulfill our purpose for You. Please help us follow You closely, applying Your laws to our lives, and shining brightly for the world to see.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Learning things the hard way makes you remember the lesson. Overcoming adversity empowers us; we never forget the challenges and the strength it took to deal with them. As much as we want to protect people from pain, we learn our biggest lessons in suffering.

If we never had bad days, we wouldn’t appreciate good ones. In the same way, if we never experienced affliction, we wouldn’t turn to the Lord and experience the wisdom we find in His commandments. A steam engine can’t work without steam, and abundant life can’t happen without divine intervention.

Behind every success lies numerous failures. Only when we try and fail can we learn and grow. Instead of beating yourself up for past mistakes, learn from them and improve. The more you fail, the greater the success you will enjoy. And the more affliction you face, the greater reward that awaits you.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Romans 5:3-5

Let your afflictions lead you to Christ and His statutes. Perseverance builds endurance, produces character, and leads to hope.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us the strength to persevere when afflicted, leading us to the hope of the Cross. Please help us turn to You, not the world, when life gets hard, experiencing victory in Christ.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Full confession: I’ve made fun of rule followers. The incident that most comes to mind happened in college. Riding with a friend, we stopped at a convenience store for snacks. Four cute boys asked us for a ride to their frat house, but my friend said no. Her dad said she could only have two people in the car and wouldn’t break his rule.

At the time, I couldn’t believe she would pass up the opportunity to meet guys. I felt embarrassed because I thought her actions seemed silly. But thirty years later, as I look back on the incident, I admire her for keeping her father’s rules.

We can’t delight in God’s laws if we don’t follow them. My friend delighted in her earthly father’s laws and received his adoration; how much more our heavenly Father smiles when we follow His. Understanding the Lord gives us precepts that help us avoid pain and misery, making them easier to follow.

God wants us to experience life fully, so He directs us on how to accomplish it. Obeying the Lord not only transforms our lives but does so with fervor. In His law, we will delight.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us directions to help us experience life to the fullest. Please help us obey Your commands and delight in Your laws.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

“The discipline of the Lord has changed his life.”¹ My favorite commentary sums this verse up well: when we practice God’s laws, our lives change for the better.

I strive to listen to opposite perspectives to help me understand people. Last week, I listened to a podcast between non-believing comedians talking about life, and one line stood out.

“People who follow Jesus, I mean really follow His teachings, seem to be the happiest people on the planet.”

When the show’s host made this observation, it struck me. Living for Christ changes our lives and gives us a peace that non-believers don’t understand but can see. His statement encouraged my heart. Sometimes, I wonder if the effort makes a difference, and he affirmed that it does.

Before God, I went astray. Now I cling to the Lord’s commands because I know they keep me on the straight and narrow. When I falter, God catches me and brings me back.

Experience the joy of the Lord by practicing His word and receiving the blessings that come from following Him. Let God change your life one act of obedience at a time. In Him, you will thrive!

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for guiding and directing our paths, taking us from afflicted lives to abundant ones. Please help us follow closely today, applying Your word to our challenges and finding victory in You.
IJNIP. Amen

1. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119%3A67-68&version=ESV ↩︎

One-minute read.

“Good” in Hebrew “can refer to quality as well as to moral goodness.” While “ta’am,” the original word for judgment in this verse, means “discernment, ‘to turn from discernment’ means ‘to pretend to be insane.’’ Through His commandments, God teaches us to make wise decisions. When we turn from His ways, insanity ensues.

Listening to a podcast, a retired undercover FBI agent shared stories from his 25-year career. Infiltrating a biker gang who had no respect for life, one of the members had a sign on his wall, “WWSD.” The letters stood for “What would Satan do?” Stunned, the agent had never seen anything like the plaque before, but he knew the biker lived by the motto. Burning Bibles, causing harm to others, utter chaos reigned in the now defunct gang’s life as they turned from God and followed evil.

People choose who they follow and what commands they practice in their lives. When they choose Jesus, they find righteous living that brings joy to the heart. But when they make different choices, their actions reflect their beliefs.

The Lord’s commands lead to discernment and good judgment, giving us abundant life. Turning from His way brings misery. Choose wisely who you will follow.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us commandments we can trust and follow. Please help us make wise decisions as we practice Your ways, following You with all we have.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

If we pay attention and remain open to the Lord, God teaches us something every day. Lessons come in many ways, through scripture, people, circumstances, and experiences; we never stop learning. We become unteachable when we harden our hearts and think we know it all.

“Ask God to keep your heart soft,” my therapist said to me in one of our sessions. Until that moment, I had never considered that I had hardened my heart, but thanks to her guidance, I saw the error of my ways. Since that lesson, asking the Lord to keep my heart pliable has become a common prayer for me.

Hardened hearts can’t learn and give the devil a foothold. Pride typically provides the mortar that creates concrete in our soul. Only a jackhammer can remove the brick once it sets. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has the tools to remove hardening and create fertile soil for the Lord’s teachings.

Give God free rein over Your heart. Ask Him to soften the hard places, and teach you His statutes. Remain open to the Creator’s lessons and learn something new every day. Abundant life happens when we learn and grow with the Lord. Like a flower in the garden, your petals will blossom, and beauty will prevail.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for teaching us lessons every day. Please keep our hearts soft and open to Your teachings. Let us become more like Christ one day at a time.
IJNIP. Amen