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Elohim Shomri—God is My Protector

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – February 8, 2023

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1

A refuge is something providing shelter, or a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ” —Ephesians 6:12

From the moment we commit to follow Jesus, we enter a spiritual war zone. Every day, in our earthly journey, the righteous face the continuous opposition of unseen spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare poses the greatest danger to the Christian believer, its ultimate goal is to separate us from God.

For over six thousand years, the great controversy of good and evil has raged—God desires to save our souls, and Satan, the enemy seeks to destroy us. Spiritual warfare affects the entire body of Christ. Yet as believers, we also face custom-designed temptations. Temptations are Satan’s most effective strategy against humanity.

Satan cannot read our minds, but he can observe our behaviors and hear our spoken words [not our secret closet prayers]. He is a powerful fallen angel who devises intricate deceptive schemes to make us fall. We are not tempted by things that repulse us. Our temptations easily entrap us because they appeal to the hidden desires of our hearts.

The Onset of Warfare: Your vehicle has 275,000 miles. You prayed for a new vehicle, but God told you to wait. But you have a spirit of impatience and begin to speak words of worry, How will I get to work without a car? Suddenly, you begin to see many ads for great deals with no money down—the onset of spiritual warfare.

The Sequence of Temptation: You decide to go to the dealership just to look and explore the offers [embraced the temptation]. A couple of hours later you sign the contract [the fall]. You perceive this as God’s blessing [the deception of disobedience]. A few months later, you are laid off from your job.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” —1 Peter 5:8

Being tempted is not a sin. From distrusting God’s plan, we pursue our desires and place ourselves outside of God’s protection and into harm’s way. The scheme to make us fall does not come to fruition until the moment of disobedience. Sadly, we have willingly helped Satan to bring us down. Our rebellion to choose wrong over right reflects that we value our desires over obedience to God.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” —1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV

Praying for spiritual insight and wisdom invites the Holy Spirit into our battle. We immediately receive the spiritual alert that we are being tempted. Our next step is to say no and to walk away. We cannot allow ourselves to engage in a discussion like Eve. Satan has no power over the believer who relies on Christ through much prayer.

We become vulnerable only when we display an interest in the temptation. If we walk away, Satan will not chase us, he recognizes defeat. It is impossible to rely on our strength to overcome Satan’s stealth strategies. If we dismiss the Holy Spirit’s warnings and use our thoughts or strength to confront temptation, we will sin.

The Sin Dilemma: After we have sinned, the Holy Spirit convicts us. Our response to the conviction determines the trajectory of our lives. Will we run to Christ our Refuge and repent?

“For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up…” —Proverbs 24:16

When the righteous fall, our hearts are filled with anguish and guilt because we have sinned against God. If our next step is a prayer of confession and repentance—to turn away from sin, our Redeemer extends His arms in love, mercy, and forgiveness. We are always forgiven but may endure the consequences of our disobedience. Still, we forgive ourselves, receive comfort and strength from the Holy Spirit, and move forward in our commitment to live as one who is forgiven.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” —Psalm 91:1

To abide in Christ is often misunderstood, but the simplest explanation is to live a surrendered, faithful, and obedient Christ-centered life that focuses on doing God’s will. Only a heart filled with overwhelming love and appreciation of the Plan of Redemption desires the safety that Christ gives.

Daily surrender opens our spiritual eyes, and we begin to recognize our true condition—we cannot make it in this earthly journey without Jesus and His protection. Yes, we are truly grateful for the privilege to have Christ as our Refuge. Elohim Shomri—God is My Protector.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” —Proverbs 18:10

Lord, we thank You for being our Refuge and Strong Tower. Thank You for protecting us from the Spiritual Warfare by keeping us safely in Your arms. In Jesus’ Loving Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

The Lord is Merciful

The Lord is Merciful

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional -February 6, 2024

“Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes, I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.’” —2 Samuel 12:9-11

“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.’” —2 Samuel 12:13-14

Psalm 119 reflects David’s heartfelt plea to God, “Do not leave me to my oppressors.” Although God forgave the king for his wilful sins of adultery and murder, David’s sins brought severe consequences to his life. The Lord extended abundant mercies by sparing David’s life, but His judgment would remain. The curse of oppression and strife was fulfilled and enacted by those in his household just as the prophet foretold.

God is always merciful. David was surrounded by enemies during his entire reign including two of his sons, the princes Absalom and Adonijah who were his greatest enemies. But God did not allow the son’s plans to come to fruition and harm their father. God appointed David’s and Bathsheba’s second son, Solomon to be the heir to David’s throne. Not only was Solomon the wisest man that ever lived, he was allowed to build the temple.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9

We must reflect deeply on the terrible condition of the human heart. David’s sins were heinous, but he felt no remorse. The sin of entitlement resulted in King David abusing his position to pursue his desires. Only when God sent the prophet Nathan to expose David’s sins did he confess and repent. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

“You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.” —Deuteronomy 5:33

We cannot condemn David because we are also following our hearts. Our focus has turned from God to ourselves. As one pastor stated, “We have become the idol that we worship.” When we fail to include God in our daily routines by asking for His guidance, we move forward in our decisions to purchase houses or vehicles, pursue success, and enter into relationships and marriages that are contrary to His will.

Yet there are consequences for the Christians who fulfill their heart’s desires without God’s Divine Blessing. When our perception of what it means to live a faithful and obedient life pleasing to God does not align with His Righteous principles, we lose our right standing with God. Our failure to surrender and seek His will every day is disobedience. From our decision to please ourselves, we exchange the freedom of righteousness for the enslavement of sinful oppression.

God’s desire is for us to worship Him with faithful obedience. “…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence…” (1 Timothy 2:2). God does not excuse any acts of disobedience. Do we understand that our independent thoughts and actions reflect a decision to live according to our dictates? God knows the motives of our hearts and our level of spiritual understanding.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger, and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” —Psalm 145:8-9

Following our hearts [unless it is pursuing Christ] is disobedience and disobedience separates us from God. Yet, even in our sinfulness, our Heavenly Father extends abundant mercies. Using conviction, the Holy Spirit tugs on the heart of the believer who has veered from the Narrow Path of Righteousness. Because of Christ, we have the life-saving option of not staying on the detour road paved by disobedience.

Although the Holy Spirit uses various ways, [feeling the discontent of wrongdoing in our conscience, using our thoughts, Scriptures, sermons, spiritually mature people, and even a post on social media] to expose our sins of disobedience, we never have to use guesswork regarding our specific sins. Every sin secret or open is exposed by God.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Yes, it is a struggle to live holy! We have traveled too far in our spiritual journey to throw away our reward of Eternal life for the temporary pleasures of this world. The power of the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to bring our flesh into subjection to the will of God. With faith and courage, determine that you will stay in the right standing with God.

Prayer: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” Psalm 119:37

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Let Jesus Guide Your Steps

Our Daily Walk with Christ – Devotional February 5, 2024

“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” —Matthew 22:37

God is Love! Every good and perfect gift including salvation, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and provisions is from His overwhelming love for humanity. Our salvation is dependent on our belief that God is Love and He loves us. Still, we must respond by loving God. Our love for God is the foundation of our heart-to-heart relationship with Christ.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4).

Our identity was predestined by God. From Adam and Eve to modern believers, we have been called and chosen by God to represent His love for humanity and to spread the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because our hearts are naturally carnal, and cannot understand the spiritual things of God, every living being has received a measure of faith—the innate ability to believe.

The Divine intervention of the Holy Spirit is required to elevate our understanding to grasp the magnitude of Christ’s unselfish gift of salvation and God’s love for humanity. We hear or read about Christ and our heart responds. Agape love is the catalyst that activates our faith. It is at that moment of acceptance and belief in Christ when the Holy Spirit moves and touches the person’s heart to say, Yes, I accept Christ as my personal Savior.

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” —2 Timothy 1:9

Our response to accepting Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives reflects that we agree with the responsibility to think, act, and live holy. We are chosen and called by God to live a pure life. Because of Christ, we are redeemed from our sins, saved by grace, and clothed in His Righteousness. In reverence and gratitude to the Almighty God, we pray for the spiritual strength to overcome innate sinful tendencies and do our part by striving to live acceptable lives pleasing to God.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” —1 Peter 2:9

We are who God says we are—chosen royalty. Imagine being informed that your family lineage suggests they belonged to royalty. Certainly, you would think very differently of yourself, not with conceit and pride, but you would strive to honor your family’s status.

With excitement, you research to find out more information and seek to reflect on their royal status by establishing higher moral standards. Your lifestyle would not only reflect integrity and honor you would avoid everything that would cause disgrace or reproach to your family.

“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” —Revelation 19:16

Applying those same principles from a spiritual perspective, we excitedly accept the gift and privilege of being royal children of Christ, our King. Through personal worship, we reinforce our covenant vow of love and loyalty to live a life honoring God. Faithful obedience as evidenced by the daily surrender of our will demonstrates that we bow to Jesus, our Sovereign King.

How do we make the transition to live holy? We acknowledge and accept our identity in Christ. We offer prayers of confession, repentance, and praises of gratitude. And we agree to be led by Christ!

David’s Prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).

The Royal Guidebook: The Holy Bible is God’s Voice of Instruction. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, we diligently study the Scriptures to learn God’s commandments and principles of Righteousness. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Holiness requires our hearts to be filled with humility and surrender. We give up thinking our thoughts and plans by praying daily for God’s will to be revealed. To live holy requires a shift in one’s thinking and a marked change in our character. To follow Christ instead of our inclinations can never be accomplished through methods of self-achievement.

A life of holiness requires much prayer. From our prayers for help, the Holy Spirit empowers us with the Divine strength to overcome our desires and fulfill God’s plans. Still, we must practice the discipline and self-control required to obey God. Spiritual growth does not happen in leaps and bounds, it is a slow and continuous process.

Immediately, following our commitment to Christ, we begin the Journey of Sanctification—the lifelong spiritual process of our minds, characters, and personalities being changed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ. To enter the Narrow gate and stay on the Path of Righteousness, we put forth the human effort to fully cooperate with Divinity by fulfilling our commitment to always be led by the Spirit of God.

God, we pray for the wisdom to hear Your Voice and the strength to faithfully obey Your will. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

When All is Well

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – February 4, 2024

Many years ago, I was shopping in a one-owner business in New Jersey. It was a refreshing experience because the owner was a kind, chatty person with a big smile and a cheerful and friendly personality. We spoke briefly about the large variety of needful things in the store and I resumed browsing.

A few moments later, another customer entered, and the owner stated, Good day, How are you? to which the man replied, “I’m living the life, it doesn’t get better than this.” The owner never responded. It wasn’t only the spoken words that caused the silence, it was the deliberate boastful and arrogant tone of voice that dismissed any further communication.

Without a steadfast relationship with Christ based on surrender and faithful obedience, we readily accept the worldview of self-made success by listening to the strategies of unbelievers who boast of their many accomplishments and encourage others to follow in the same path. They too possess the mindset of ”I’m living the life, it doesn’t get better than this.”

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” —Joshua 1:9, NIV

If you are a believer and are pleased with your decisions, your choices, and your lifestyle without praying for Divine approval or for God’s will to be done in your life then you have a reason to be concerned. Our behaviors expose the condition of our hearts—either we are for God or against God. To live independently of God’s will and plans indicates that we are not safe in the arms of Jesus.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ ” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV). Despite the intensity of our struggle, if we pray in faith and meditate on God’s promises, we will remain confident of His Sovereign Power.

Our Struggle Has Purpose: There is no need to become discouraged, the continuous battles indicate that we are not following our inclinations, thoughts, and strategies, and most importantly the Holy Spirit is transforming our minds and characters for eternal life.

Jesus assures us that in our daily struggle, if we make Him the Lord of our lives by prayerfully seeking His will [even in our routine duties] we can remain courageous because He is greater than our adversities.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” —John 14:27

The Struggle is Real, but Victory is Sure! Our peace is reflected in a hopeful and positive outlook because Christ gives us peace and guides us through every struggle. Our unwavering faith and trust is in Christ! When asked, How are you doing? with a grateful heart, proclaim with confidence, I am blessed by God!

Lord God, we thank You for the struggle that will save our souls and prepare us to live with You eternally. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – February 2, 2024

“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.” —Exodus 5:29

From the Glory of the Lord, Moses’ face revealed the Shekinah radiance that comes from worshiping in the presence of God. Thankfully, we have the privilege of entering God’s presence and enjoy a mountaintop experience during times of collective and personal worship.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Reflection: From God’s open invitation, we can approach God in reverent worship any time of the day or night. Are we readily seeking God to receive the only transforming power available to humanity?

Often there is a vast difference between our understanding of worshiping God in Spirit and Truth and God’s definition of worshiping Him. Worship requires a heart filled with love and total surrender to the will of God. Every day, we pray in faith, asking for God’s will to be revealed for the given day. Obedience to God is our sacrificial worship. Once we know His plans, we follow through by doing His will.

Worship is a lifestyle. Worship engages our mental and moral powers as we emotionally prepare ourselves to physically be in the presence of God. Worship extends beyond attending church. We incorporate deep, meaningful personal worship [at least twice a day] into our service to God.

“Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” —Isaiah 6:2

In today’s Christian community, reverence for God has substantially declined. A few days ago, I was watching a South African music video and when I observed the level of reverence [most of the congregation were on their knees with uplifted hands] during the song of worship, I immediately repented for not reverencing God as He deserves. God is Sovereign and He is Holy!

“The fear [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). God is Holy! Through our intentional posture of surrender [on bended knees, if physically possible], we remind ourselves and acknowledge that God is not only Sovereign, but He is the reason we have life.

Personal worship requires meaningful preparation. We set aside uninterrupted time, eliminate all distractions, and leave our silenced cellular devices in another area. With the Bible in hand, we take a deep breath, proclaim praises of gratitude for our life, health, and strength, and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and discernment during our Bible study.

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms [songs].” —Psalm 95:2

Worship is a time of rejoicing to thank God for all that He has done and all that He will do in our lives. We cannot let our feelings determine our perception of the goodness of God. It is a privilege to enter the presence of God. Whether we are in times of peace or hardships and sorrows, we give Him praise because He is always faithful.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

We begin by emptying our hearts of selfish desires and self-seeking attention with a prayer of repentance. We express our love for God by asking for His will to be revealed on the given day. The remainder of our prayer is dependent on our free expression between ourselves and God.

Pray honest prayers. God is not offended when we offer spoken words of truth. We do not have to be ashamed of confessing that our faith is weak, or we feel sad, disappointed, or due to a major life change, we do not know how to move forward. With God there is no pretense, He knows the true condition of our hearts.

What can we expect to receive during worship? “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Through worship, the Holy Spirit imparts the spiritual and physical sustenance that is required for the given day, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). The Holy Spirit convicts and identifies our sins and unrighteous character traits. We receive the strength to change our habits and behaviors.

Sanctification—being transformed into the likeness of Christ [His love and character] and possessing the Fruit of the Spirit takes a lifetime.

God’s ultimate goal is to prepare us for eternal life. From our desire to be in the presence of God, we receive the benefits of His Shekinah glory. When we continue to persevere by offering our sacrifice of obedience to God in worship, our minds, characters, and personalities are transformed. From the depths of our spiritually energized souls, like Moses, our faces reflect the radiance of the Glory of God! Amen.

Prayer: God, we come to You offering ourselves as a living sacrifice. We make a covenant vow to surrender in faithful obedience to Your will. Lord, we praise You for the gift of Your life and the privilege of worshiping You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2024 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Involve God in the Routine Tasks

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional Reading – February 1, 2024

The countless and unexpected little interruptions weary our minds, bodies, and souls. But we have Divine Help available! Whisper a prayer before you feel overwhelmed. Ask God to reveal what you should not include in your life for today.

The Creation Story in Genesis reveals that God is systematic. He completed the Creation one day at a time, saw that it was good, and determined that He brought His plans to fruition. God always completed His plans for the given day.

Stop multitasking! Doing many things at once is a counterproductive habit. We were created to accomplish our tasks and enjoy the victory that comes from completion. Pray for the courage to decline interruptions and the wisdom to prioritize your life for God’s honor and glory.

Thank You, Father God, for giving us the wisdom to live productive lives that represent Your Divine plans for our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2024 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries.