god’s word

Something We Cannot See

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1 We need to have faith in God! Faith simply means trust. Faith in God is a belief that there is something good happening that we can’t see. We trust that time is on our side because we’re living in God’s Kingdom.  Faith is essential to our survival and quality of life. Why? Because faith has to do with the future. When we are unable to put our hope in anyone or anything, we quickly become despondent and crippled by worry, anxiety, and depression. Many of us are dealing with bad news, whether the concern is personal or business, family or financial. Perhaps something detrimental and out of the blue happened recently. Watching the news or monitoring Twitter exposes us to economic worries and rumors of war. We stress about viruses

Read More »

Hearing the Voice of the Beloved

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 I would like to talk about one of the most important aspects of living the life Christ offers us. Jesus makes it clear this is something every Christian should do, and that is hearing God’s voice. The voice of the Beloved — God is speaking to us right now, right where we are.  God has a word for you today. That word might come through me, but more likely it will come directly to you, by Him. When we come across someone who hears God’s voice, many of us think of them as being special, a little strange, or super spiritual. But actually, they have an openness to the spirit.  The truth is, God loves to talk to everybody. And when I say He loves to talk to everybody, I don’t mean just Christians.

Read More »

Scripture in the Morning

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4 I shared the second stage in my “morning meditation,” which includes prayer, with you yesterday. Today, I’m going to tell you about the third thing I do every day, which is read the Bible. After connecting with Jesus through prayer, I notice that my heart is prepared to study His Word and that I recognize things that I would not have seen otherwise. I underline the text and ask a lot of questions as I read. In essence, I strive to be as engaged with what I’m reading as possible. I usually read one Old Testament chapter and one New Testament chapter, and then I always read the Proverb for the day. Because there are 31

Read More »

Planning for the Storm

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27 We discussed yesterday how the ability to thrive in turmoil is an indication that we are living in the fullness of God’s Kingdom. Today, we’ll look at how Jesus teaches us a similar lesson in the parable of the wise man who built his

Read More »

Making a Multitude

“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” – John 6:8-13 Today, I want to empower you with this thought: Jesus can create a multitude out of anything

Read More »

God’s Covenant Bearer

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:2-4 4,000 years ago in the Ancient East, the world was a dangerous place, full of sickness, plague, famine, and drought. Struggling humanity survived through the enactment of covenants, or permanent promises made between two tribes that combined their strengths, assets, and property. The idea was that when both groups came together, they were stronger, wealthier, and wiser than they were on their own. Such agreements were typically made during a ceremony wherein two tribes faced each other, sang songs, and performed sacrificial rites. The tribal chiefs would exchange coats as a sign of honor and then they would

Read More »

The Anointing of Nourishment

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” – 1 John 2:27 For the past few days, we’ve seen that as Christians, we have an anointing of power, light, and healing on our lives. Today, I want to talk about one final manner of authority we have in our heavenly covering, and that is nourishment. In Biblical times, the olive oil that was used to anoint physical bodies was also a critical source of nutrition. In dry and parched desert regions, the fat it provided was vital fuel that kept people going on long journeys across the wilderness. Even in small amounts, it had a satiating effect, and it was an important part of

Read More »

Who Governs Your Mind?

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6 While the term government may not evoke positive emotions for many of us who hear it nowadays, when we look at it objectively, the word govern simply has to do with making and enforcing laws or policy. In short, it means to preside or to rule over something or someone. Therefore, when we examine Romans 8:6, the inference is that our minds — or the part of us that controls our reasoning, thoughts, and intellect — has a ruler or a governor. Someone or something tells us what to do and how to behave, and the Apostle Paul explains that there are two possible directors for this activity: the flesh and the Holy Spirit. It may be helpful to think of these “rulers” of our reason as a

Read More »

The Harvest of His Promises

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:10,11 I love this promise from the Lord as recorded by Isaiah because it reminds us that His Word never returns void. I think many of us become discouraged when we faithfully apply ourselves to the things of God and yet don’t experience the freedom and breakthrough we’ve been longing for. We pray, seek, and trust, but we still endure a prolonged wilderness that leaves us wondering if He’s there at all. It can be equally as

Read More »

The Hidden Things of the Heart

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” – Luke 8:17 Yesterday, we talked about how it’s possible that the Roman Empire fell because everything in their culture centered around the external. Although what was visible was attended to with great care, what was hidden was practically overlooked. While this was a prevailing Gentile philosophy in those times, it stands in stark contrast to the Jews, who consistently prized the inner life over the outer. In fact, in looking at the ruins of the Hebrew temple, it’s been noted by archeologists that every single stone had an ornate carving on its exterior. While you would expect that only those that were apparent to the eye would be given such great time and attention, even the stones underground had intricate designs. You see, unlike the

Read More »

Receive your daily eDevotional

Don't miss new updates in your email!