Live As One Who is Forgiven – Today’s Devotional – November 30, 2023
“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” —Proverbs 16:9
This journey called “life” is challenging. Yet, we do not have to manage our lives without God’s Divine Intervention. Are we willing to surrender and put forth the human effort to faithfully obey God?
Created with the free will of moral choice, like Adam and Eve, we do not have to obey God’s Righteous precepts. If we choose to travel on the broad path, we live our best lives on this earth and openly declare our refusal to serve God [through surrender and obedience].
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121:1-2
If we make the intentional decision to live as one who is forgiven then we readily submit to God’s will. We establish a spiritual connection with God through fervent prayer and study of the Scriptures. Our faith and obedience are rewarded as the Spirit of Truth leads us in our earthly journey on the narrow Path of Righteousness.
God the Help of All Who Seek Him
“The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” —Psalm 121:7-8
Prayer: God, we trust You with our lives. We ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us and reveal the perfect will of God for our lives. We thank You for Your Divine Help. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we ask this prayer, Amen.
The Gift of Spiritual Wisdom – Today’s Devotional – November 28, 2023
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” —James 1:5
What is Wisdom? Omniscient Wisdom: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55:8-9
Wisdom is spiritual discernment, a gift from God that we receive by praying [every day] and asking the Holy Spirit to impart in us. James reminds us of the importance of asking the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s perspective, thoughts, and ways. Wisdom is possessing the godly knowledge to respond to a given situation as God would respond with His higher thoughts and ways.
Even in our routine activities of daily life, we require Divine wisdom. Wisdom is the spiritual ability to perceive the true nature of a situation and to implement the will of God in that situation. Wisdom is the practical application of God’s truth to every aspect of our lives. The Holy Spirit imparts the wisdom to empower us with knowing what God wants us to do and giving us the strength to do it.
Most of us are familiar with King Solomon who requested an understanding heart. God’s Answer: “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee” (1 Kings 3:12).
Yet there is another Bible character who possessed the “spirit of wisdom,” one that we have most likely overlooked, Joshua.
“And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the ‘spirit of wisdom’ for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” —Deuteronomy 34:9
To be full of the spirit of wisdom, Joshua possessed the character trait of total reliance on God. Yes, Joshua’s character revealed the faith, trust, humility, and surrender required to receive godly wisdom. He was not prideful or overconfident in his abilities, Joshua was a true worshiper. Yet God revealed another spirit in his heart, the spirit of fear.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” —2 Timothy 1:7
From reading the story of Moses whom God considered the greatest prophet in Israel, we can only imagine Joshua’s insecurities of being appointed as the next leader of the nation of Israel. He possessed the righteous characteristics to be chosen by God, yet, Joshua had a character defect that God would require him to relinquish before they entered the Promised Land.
The modern viewpoint is to embrace Joshua’s feelings as normal anxiety, but we must accept God’s perfect discernment of the spirit of fear within Joshua. The spirit of fear is from Satan. Fear manifests itself in various forms such as anxiety, worry, doubt, and trepidation, which are all bitter fruits that prevent us from doing God’s will.
We fear because we are fixated on the presenting challenge and our limited abilities instead of God’s Divine power. Confessing that we do not trust God is something that no believer desires to come to grips with, but we must.
Reflect deeply on this question: How can we possess spiritual wisdom that gives us the spiritual ability to perceive the true nature of a situation and to implement the will of God in that situation when we possess a spirit of fear?
God is aware of the fragility and fears resulting from life’s uncertainties in the human heart. The unknown future is the number one reason that fear overpowers and reigns in the hearts of unbelievers. Fear among unbelievers is justified. How can unbelieving humanity rely on their perception and abilities when this is our Father’s world?
The Believer’s Creed: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13
Since we have Three Divine Powers and guardian angels working on our behalf 24/7, God has definitive and righteous expectations of all believers: Humility, surrender, faith, trust, wisdom, confidence, courage, and perseverance are the core characteristics we must possess to serve God.
Again we must self-reflect, What is preventing us from placing our faith and trust in God? We can only have experiential knowledge of God’s character when we study the Scriptures, rely on God’s promises, pray for the manifestation of God’s power, and share our testimonies of His faithfulness in our lives.
Both the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of fear cannot reside in our hearts. Fear cancels out spiritual wisdom and prevents God from fulfilling His purpose for us which always results in His honor and glory. God has chosen us to possess and display the love, wisdom, and courage that Christ demonstrated in His earthly life. Many believers miss out on their greatest blessings because of the spirit of fear.
When God calls us, His Divine Wisdom and Providence will change a situation that would prevent bringing glory to His Holy Name. Moses dealt with people who were rebellious, and disobedient, and who loved pagan practices. But God intervened and Joshua would not experience the heartaches that Moses endured, Joshua would lead the younger generations into the Promised Land.
God’s Divine Intervention: “ ‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun—because they did follow the LORD wholeheartedly’ ” (Numbers 32:11-12).
God chose Joshua to succeed Moses because he possessed the spirit of wisdom that demonstrated he would be just as faithful as his predecessor. Yes, Joshua’s character was one of total reliance on God, but his fear caused him to doubt God’s power to empower him as a spiritual leader.
God’s Command: “Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2). Although Joshua possessed leadership abilities, his fear produced cowardice instead of relying on the godly wisdom he would receive to lead Israelites to the Promised land.
God’s Promises to Joshua: “…as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Joshua 1:5-7).
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9
In verse 9, we notice a change in God’s tone when speaking to Joshua. God instructed Joshua twice to be strong and courageous. Because nothing in the human heart is hidden from God, He knew Joshua was still holding on to fear. But the third time, God confronted Joshua, “Have I not commanded you?” Because Joshua possessed a spirit of wisdom, he understood that God considered his fear as disobedience.
When studying the Bible, we become aware of God’s Character and how He instructs the righteous. God does not coddle or indulge our feelings. God did not say, “Joshua, because this is your first leadership position, I know that you are fearful and that’s to be expected.”
When God chooses us to fulfill His work, He is aware of our character strengths and weaknesses and is prepared to empower us with godly wisdom and strength when we pray to receive His Divine Help and Attributes.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” —Psalm 32:8
Throughout the Scriptures, God reminds us of His Divine Providence and Power and commands us to be strong and courageous in all situations. Hallelujah! We serve the Most-High God who proclaims, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:8).
Prayer: God, we thank You for the privilege of receiving Your Divine wisdom. We ask for the anointing, presence, power, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray. Amen.
Know Why You Believe What You Believe – Today’s Devotional – November 25, 2023
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” —Colossians 2:8
Many years ago, I became severely troubled regarding some of my religious beliefs. The life of Christ demonstrated a loving and compassionate Savior who alleviated the mental, emotional, and physical suffering of everyone who had the faith to believe. Not only was He faithfully dedicated to seeking and saving the lost, but Jesus humbled Himself in obedience to die for us on Calvary’s Cross.
I could not grasp how God, the Father who lovingly gave His only Son would allow the righteous to live a perfect life in the New Heaven and New Earth while at the same time, the wicked suffered in an eternal hell.
“You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.” —Psalm 139:2
I am so thankful that God knows what is hidden deep in our hearts. The Holy Spirit came to my rescue, and I listened to a sermon entitled “No Eternally Burning Hell.” Many Scriptures were given yet the primary focus was on Malachi chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 20.
The Great Day of God: “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.” —Malachi 4:1
In Revelation chapter 20, Verses 1-3: Satan is Bound for 1,000 years; Verses 4-6: The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 years; and Verses 7-10: The Satanic Rebellion Crushed.
“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” —Revelation 20:7-10
“Why did John emphasize the idea of eternal if he didn’t mean it to be taken literally? “…the word ‘eternal’ means that the judgment will be thorough rather than lasting forever.” Some things burn up quickly, but with the day and night description, it doesn’t appear the devil will have an instant death. Yet, he knows his demise and still wreaks havoc on the people of God attempting to take us with him. But, no, no, no, we refuse to travel on his path of destruction!
The book of Jude, verse 7, “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” In Genesis 19, verse 28, “and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.”
We know that Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding plains were burned and nothing was left. The Bible explains itself. God has predetermined what we need to know to live righteously. Jesus also clarifies in Revelation chapter 21, there will be no eternally burning hell-fire.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” —Revelation 21:8
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26
There are many theological debates among Bible scholars regarding the original language in which the Bible was written and its accurate interpretation. Yet, we must remember the Bible never requires updates. Any new human developed theologies should be excluded from our spiritual belief system. We have all the spiritual knowledge we need in the Bible for our calling and election to be steadfast through Christ.
Perilous times are separating many from God. Every day, we have daily distractions, voices, worldviews, temptations, and an internal battle against our carnal heart, but with unwavering faith, if we take God at His word, rely on the Holy Spirit to give us clarity and dispel any confusion regarding the Scriptures, we will receive the strength to fight the good fight of faith.
Reflection: What are your doctrinal beliefs? Can you validate your present beliefs using the Scriptures?
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” —2 Timothy 2:15
Many of us have not searched the Scriptures to check the credibility of our beliefs. Yes, the Bible contains symbolism, parables, similes, metaphors, analogies, juxtapositions, etc., but the Scriptures [if] studied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allows us to receive perfect spiritual wisdom and discernment of God’s Truth.
When the Holy Spirit is involved in studying the Bible, He imparts wisdom and discernment even to young children. Studies have proven that children who study the Scriptures have wisdom beyond their age and excel in their studies. It is their genuine faith and trust that acts as a catalyst to receive imparted knowledge and wisdom from the Holy Spirit that would confound a professor who holds a Ph.D.
” ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [inaccessible] mighty things, which you do not know.’ ” —Jeremiah 33:3
We are forever Bible students. Believers never reach a summit of Scriptural knowledge. Before we open our Bible, with humility, we ask for and rely on the Divine Wisdom of the Holy Spirit to discern the Scriptures. If you have never asked the Holy Spirit to reveal any false doctrines that are in your belief systems then you should because they are stumbling blocks to knowing and practicing God’s Truth in your daily life.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…” —Proverbs 2:6
We cannot receive spiritual growth and transformation based on erroneous beliefs and doctrines. Pray for understanding! Once we know the Truth, then we must take another step, letting go of traditional or learned beliefs that are not in agreement with the Scriptures.
Be prepared, Truth always results in separation from others! No, they will not understand. Yet, our salvation and reward of eternal life require total acceptance of Biblical Truth and dependency on God. Every day pray and invite the Holy Spirit into your personal worship, you will receive deeper and deeper spiritual insight into the word of God that will produce spiritual growth and transformation.
As long as we remain a student of the Holy Spirit, we will know why we believe what we believe. Every day, we receive a greater measure of spiritual wisdom because we have faithfully called on the Lord and He has kept His promise by revealing to us great and mighty things. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, we ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to anoint us with the power, presence, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Reveal your precious Words of Truth and empower us to discard all other fallacies. We ask this prayer in Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.
The Gift and Role of the Holy Spirit – Today’s Devotional – November 22, 2023
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” —John 14:16-17
The questions that most believers will not ask are, “Who is the Holy Spirit? And what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?” These are not facetious questions, the lack of knowledge regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit naturally leaves one to assume the Holy Spirit does not serve a purpose in their lives.
Who is the Holy Spirit? God, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune Godhead who has always existed with God, the Father, and God, Jesus the Son. Some think the Holy Spirit did not exist until the day Jesus was baptized [refer to John 1, verses 29-34] or the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2]. Yet, we have Biblical proof that the Holy Spirit [the Spirit of God] has always existed.
Biblical proof of the Holy Spirit’s Existence
We can refer to Genesis chapter 1, verses 1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
The Holy Spirit Has Many Names
From Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit is referred to by various names. A few Scriptural references: Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2; 1 Corinthians 2:11; Job 33:4); Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14); Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2; Acts 5:9); Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2; Ephesians 1:17); Breath of the Almighty (Job 33:4); Comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26); Teacher (John 14:26); Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26); and, Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).
Does one have to speak in an unknown language to be anointed with the Holy Spirit?
The Day of Pentecost: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance.” —Acts 2:2-4
In Acts chapter 2, the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit referred to as the Day of Pentecost came through as a mighty rushing wind. Contrary to the belief of one not having the anointing of the Holy Spirit unless they can speak in unknown tongues aka a heavenly language, verses 5-8 of Acts the second chapter clarifies God’s definition of speaking in tongues.
“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’ ” —Acts 2:5-8
Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid decline in the study of the Bible, and the majority of Protestant churches have failed to teach about the Holy Spirit. As a result, their members have avoided this subject. The Holy Spirit appears too mysterious and undefinable.
Because the pastors, spiritual mentors, and members with experiential knowledge of the Holy Spirit have not fulfilled their responsibility to preach and teach about the Divine Helper, we have generations of discouraged believers who feel defeated because they struggle to live righteously on human effort alone.
The Mindset of Many Believers: “Well, I think I’m doing alright without the Holy Spirit.” Sadly most Christians would rather continue in their lack of knowledge of the Holy Spirit because it is more convenient to believe the Holy Spirit serves no purpose in their lives.
The Human Dilemma: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
A Call to Holiness: “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
God’s Righteous Standards: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the Divine Power that allows us to live a godly and fruitful life. The Holy Spirit enlightens our mind to understand the truth, gives us spiritual strength and the ability to live a consecrated and righteous life, empowers us to obey God, and equips us to do the work [using our spiritual gifts to witness] that we are called to do.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…”—1 Corinthians 6:19
Every day, we must pray and surrender our will to God to align with His will and plans. Yes, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the Godhead is not intrusive. On the days that we feel like following our inclinations then we will not be anointed with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Divine gift to humanity and requires the conditions of surrender and obedience. The Holy Spirit will not enter an unwilling and disobedient vessel.
At Jesus’ baptism [Matthew 3:13-17], He was anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit and then sent to the wilderness to fast for 40 days. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to withstand Satan’s temptations, to minister to those with spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical deficits and diseases, to receive the spiritual strength to endure constant rejection and hatred, teach twelve rowdy, self-centered disciples the ways of holiness, the physical strength to minister to the multitudes, and to live a life of homelessness.
If Jesus in His earthly life required the Holy Spirit, then certainly, we are in desperate need of the Divine Helper who is just a prayer away. From experience, we know that we cannot win the continuous internal battle of pursuing our desires and inclinations versus surrendering and obeying Christ on our own.
Living holy and staying on the narrow Path of Righteousness requires full cooperation with the Divine Authority of the Holy Spirit. Thank You Jesus for gifting us with the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord, Mighty, and Strong – Today’s Devotional – November 21, 2023
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!’ ” —Job 38:1, 4
Last night, I was scrolling through Instagram and paused to listen to the testimony of a young woman who is a new believer: “From studying the Bible, I finally have peace. When I found out that Jesus created the universe, parted the Red Sea, healed those with leprosy, opened blind eyes, and told the lame to take up their bed and walk, I said to myself, ‘Because you follow Jesus, the Superpower of the Universe. You will never worry or lose sleep over any problem that you face.’ Now I witness to my friends and encourage other believers who are feeling down by telling them, ‘You serve Jesus, He is the Superpower of this universe, pray, tell Him your problems, and believe that He will fix them.’ ” Yes, her enthusiasm for Christ was amazing!
Are you still excited about Christ, our loving and powerful Savior? We have Scriptural evidence that the Triune God can do anything and everything above and beyond our human imagination. Most of us have a history of receiving miraculous victories, still, do we possess unwavering faith in the mighty power of Christ?
In the book of Job, Jesus identifies His Omnipotence to suffering Job, and in Revelation to the apostle John, “I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hell and of Death” (Revelation 1:18).
How well do we know the Lord who is Mighty and Strong? Is our knowledge of Christ’s Omnipotence only based on gathering information from the Scriptures?
Did you know that people study the Bible for reasons other than spiritual transformation? In college, there were many atheists in my religion classes who viewed the Bible as the only reliable history book. An atheist who studies the Bible to acquire historical knowledge is not interested in learning the attributes of God’s Character or the Plan of Salvation and Redemption. Like the atheists, some Christians tend to only seek knowledge from the Scripture when it serves their own interests.
“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
From studying the Scriptures, we learn that human effort must cooperate with the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit to produce the life-long process of our spiritual transformation into the likeness of Christ—Sanctification, and to keep us on the narrow Path of Righteousness.
The surrendered believer studies the Holy Scriptures to learn God’s character and His attributes of Omnibenevolence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence. We accept His commandments, and precepts that are necessary to live righteously. Our faith, trust, and obedience are the catalysts that allow us to receive the power of the Holy Spirit for spiritual growth and to maintain a faithful, steadfast relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” —Proverbs 17:3
The believer’s faith is constantly tested which gives us experiential knowledge of the power of Jesus who performs miracles in our lives every day. Whether we are studying the Bible for the acquisition of knowledge only or for spiritual transformation will reveal itself when our peaceful, all-is-well lives are interrupted by the hurricanes of hardships.
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33, NLT
When happiness and tranquility are abruptly terminated by the forceful winds of strife and we are caught off guard by a life event that impacts everyone in our family, will we immediately fall to our knees and pray for Divine Intervention? Our reaction to the unexpected trials and tribulations is determined by the existence and strength of our relationship with Christ.
Like Peter, we can demonstrate the faith to get out of the boat and walk on the water, but the distance from the boat to Jesus appeared much greater when he became distracted by the stormy winds and the crashing waves. The prayer of “Jesus, help me!” should be our first response and daily prayer when facing the unexpected turbulence of trials and sorrows.
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).
“We can have a history of overcoming many stormy trials, but inconsistent worship weakens even the strongest faith and confidence in Christ.” —SDJ
Facing the unknown with no foreseeable options and feeble faith causes us to develop spiritual disorientation. In the storm, we forget that the winds and waves of tribulations are under the subjection of the Master who can command them to “Be still.” When we pray for help, Christ does not guarantee that the stormy trial will cease, but He does promise us that we will receive His peace and strength to persevere until the storm ends.
With the Bible in hand, go to your secret closet and pray an honest prayer of humility, “God, my faith is weak and I’m afraid, but I trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Pray for comfort and strength from the Holy Spirit. Allow some quiet time and stay in God’s presence until you feel the peace that passes all understanding permeate your mind, body, and soul. Like Jacob, wrestle for victory, “I will not let You go until You bless me!”
When our faith is shaky from the tumultuous waves of fear and doubt, we must ask every day for the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to remain focused on Christ instead of the present storm. God knows that our human hearts are fragile and forgetful of the many times [in the past] He delivered us.
As we search the Scriptures, we will receive hope because Christ never abandons us whether we have little or abundant faith.
Prayer: Lord, we come to You with feeble faith. Yet, we ask for the strength and peace that You promise to those who seek You. Jesus, we ask You to calm our inner storm and to bring resolution to our stormy tribulations. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
In Christ Alone – Today’s Devotional – November 19, 2023
“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” —Proverbs 3:7
Trusting in self is the most prevalent downfall of Christian believers. We analyze and rationalize instead of praying. Deceit is not easily recognized because the temptations are based on the desires of our hearts. Humanity’s greatest enemy is a fallen angel who desires that we fall into his well-developed plans of entrapment. Satan uses our innate pride to easily convince us that we can live productive lives without God’s help.
We cannot win our internal or external battles using strategies based on limited human thoughts. The life of Christ is our example of the believer’s mindset, purpose, and lifestyle. Jesus was human, yet divine. In His earthly life, He could have relied on His divinity to make decisions, but in humility, He surrendered daily to God, His Father. Yes, Jesus prayed without ceasing to seek God’s will and guidance for His life.
“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)” (Luke 6:12-16, NLT).
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
The roadblock to including Christ in every aspect of our lives—we do not perceive our consistent need for Divine intervention. Each day, we take the time to reflect on our lives and revel in our accomplishments. By inwardly celebrating our achievements, we inspire ourselves to keep striving for greatness. We do not feel the need to pray a daily prayer of surrender because from our perspective all-is-well.
The quote by Francis Chan, “Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?” sadly is the summation of our prideful self-reliance. God strongly reminds us of the consequences of the sin of self-reliance, “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:21).
The Human Dilemma: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9
Can we recognize the deceitfulness of sin? No, we cannot. Without Christ, we are in a lose-lose situation. Not only do we gravitate toward innate carnal desires, but we also have a relentless enemy, the roaring lion, Satan who can manipulate us through the vice of pride. From our lifestyle, he observes that our relationship with Christ is weak or nonexistent and easily masterminds alluring temptations guaranteed to make us fall.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” —Proverbs 14:12
God is love! He reaches out to redirect our waywardness by allowing situations to arise that require His Divine Help. Most of us can recall a time when we sat down, contemplated, and developed solutions to a situation that we felt our knowledge and prior experience could resolve, but in the end, we suffered immensely from thinking our own thoughts.
Our perception did not include the possibility of negative consequences resulting from our analytical strategic solutions. At the time, we thought that our decision was the best decision. The habit of only bringing our toughest challenges to Christ but attempting to resolve routine issues without Him can also result in devastating consequences.
In Christ Alone, we have received the privilege to come to Him whether in repentance, asking for forgiveness, or seeking His Divine Help.
“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…” —Psalm 95:6-7
“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).
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” —Psalm 34:17
“In this world, you will have tribulations…” Do not analyze, you can do nothing without Christ! Pause, Pray, and Wait for the Divine guidance of the Holy Spirit! We should never allow ourselves to be pressured into making immediate decisions. Even in emergent situations, pause, pray, and wait for God’s answer. Never forget that life and death are in the hands of our Omnipotent God.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).
Develop the habit of praying and practice the fruit of patience. We are privileged to have Jesus serving as our Heavenly Intercessor, receiving every prayer brought to Him by the Holy Spirit. When faced with challenges, great or small, before decision-making, with faith and a grateful heart, we pray, “God, I need Your help.” The Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit is just a prayer away.
Christ gave us the Scriptural blueprint of seeking God in every aspect of our lives. We have a precious and loving Savior who tells us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
In Christ alone, place your trust. From our obedience, we receive comfort, strength, and hope from Christ through the Holy Spirit. If we would take the giant leap of blind faith and commit ourselves to trust in Christ alone who is Faithful and True we would experience abundant peace and joy! In Christ alone, we can live a victorious life! Amen.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6
Prayer: God, we have attempted to travel this journey without You and realize that we desperately need your help! We are weary of life’s burdens and in humility surrender ourselves to Your Divine will. Lord, we love You. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Loving Name, Amen.
Evidence of God’s Power – Today’s Devotional November 17, 2023
“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me, there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.” —Isaiah 45:5-6
From the parting of the Red Sea to the showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophet Elijah, the miracle of Abraham and Sarah having a child at 100 and 90 years of age, Daniel in the lion’s den, the Hebrew young men cast into the fiery furnace, Mary’s immaculate conception, the rescue of Paul and Silas from chains, and the apostle John boiled in oil, but never sustaining injury, God has shown His Omnipotence to humanity.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9
But now post-modern Christians ask, “Why doesn’t God perform the great miracles as He used to?” God is still performing great miracles. Salvation is the greatest blessing—to be saved by grace through our faith is not even understood by the angels. The Plan of Redemption which required Jesus’ death on the cross was in place before the world and humanity were created. Because of Christ, we receive redemption, never-ending forgiveness, grace, mercy, justification, reconciliation, and sanctification throughout our lifetime.
“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’ ” —Acts 2: 6-8
When we read about the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, it is difficult for us to relate to the Holy Spirit empowering the 12 disciples with the ability to speak in languages corresponding to the diverse group of people from 16 different areas who spoke their native languages.
We find it difficult to believe in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit because we have not invited Him into our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us with strength and the ability to overcome the vicissitudes of life and the temptations that we face every day. We also rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and discernment to comprehend the Truth of the Scriptures. The spiritual transformation of every willing and obedient believer is accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
“Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22-26).
Sadly, most of today’s churches do not have pastors or members who possess the steadfast faith to move the arms of God. Christ will always have churches whose members have surrendered their hearts to Christ and still believe in fasting, praying, and prayer services dedicated to approaching the Throne of Grace. Their surrender and faithful obedience reflect a lifestyle of worshiping, praising, and honoring the King of Kings. If we hear their testimonies, they will describe an intimate relationship with a powerful, miracle-working God that most know nothing about.
“We forget about the power of God because we do not reflect on His past faithfulness in our lives.” —Cece Winans
God is still manifesting powerful large-scale miracles but we usually only think about our personal victories. This year, I shared with my 90-year-young mother the progressive and incurable heart condition secondary due to uncontrolled asthma that I was diagnosed with in 2022. Her immediate response was to begin praying and she ended her prayer by thanking God for my healing. She told me to begin fasting and praying in faith believing that God had already healed me.
In June, I had a follow-up echocardiogram which revealed a normal heart. Not only did God heal my incurable heart condition, but my asthma is also controlled. The Pulmonologist was dumbfounded when he read the test results and gave no response. Despite my weaknesses, I know for myself the love, mercies, and healing power of a Great and Faithful God. Yes, I re-dedicate myself to Christ through daily surrender because the heart that my God healed belongs to Him. I must tell others that our God is still healing and performing great miracles.
Evidence of God’s Wonder-Working Power
“What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” —1 Corinthians 6:19
We have God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, three Divine powers dedicated to the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being of those created in the image of God. The Holy Spirit is always available and is just a prayer away to comfort, teach, guide, and empower us with the ability to achieve our goals and overcome spiritual warfare.
“Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you…Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 43:4-5).
Ruah is the very breath that God breathed into humans in our creation. Created in the image of God, the anatomy and physiology of our minds and bodies are perfectly made. Our brains coordinate the movement of our bodies and the eleven body systems maintain homeostasis without our intervention.
From conception to birth and throughout our lifespan, we have the guiding eyes of God watching over us. As a student nurse, the first time, I witnessed the birth of a baby, I wanted to fall to my knees. God’s amazing love will never be fully understood until we are transformed and receive immortality when Jesus comes.
In our vast universe, God rains on the just [believers] and the unjust [unbelievers]. There are over 8 billion people on the planet Earth whom God sustains by blessing us with a sound mind, and restoring our minds, bodies, and souls while sleeping. We are complex thinkers, eat a variety of foods, move our extremities, engage in physical exercise, use our talents, and spiritual gifts because of the miraculous power of our loving Heavenly Father.
We awaken to the mercies of a new day, Christ keeps us safe by appointing guardian angels, provides our necessities, gives us gainful employment, and also blesses us with our desires if it is His will. And many believers are just as ungrateful as their counterparts, we take our blessings for granted as if we are the giver and source of our strength.
“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ ” —Job 1:8, 12
The fallen angel would destroy every Christian if God did not place extreme limits on him. The numerous diseases that are prevalent in this world could wipe out humanity. But our God places boundaries on their pathogenic fury and says, enough, you can go no further.
Although our earth is suffering from waste buildup, deforestation, extinction of wild animals, violence, climate change, and a falling away from God, we receive the miracle of life, health, and strength every day which is even greater than the parting of the Red Sea. Still, sadly most lack the spiritual insight to recognize and witness to others that our God is the same Powerful God performing even greater miracles now than in Biblical times. Amen. Be blessed.
Prayer: God, we thank You for the loving mercies we receive every day. And we ask for forgiveness for taking Your most wonderful blessings for granted. We love You and ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Sabbath Devotional – Asking the Holy Spirit for Help – November 17, 2023
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” —Ephesians 5:8
Acceptance of Christ as our personal Savior calls for us to live a sanctified life which requires the human effort of full cooperation with the Divine. From praying, studying God’s Holy Scriptures, and attending church, we learn that we must renounce our former behaviors because we are now children of the light.
We can gain Scriptural knowledge and commit to obeying God’s righteous precepts and principles, but without the Holy Spirit will be unsuccessful in our numerous attempts to change our old behaviors.
The Holy Spirit must be an integral part of our activities of daily life. Although we love Christ and strive to have an intimate heart-to-heart relationship with Him, we require the Holy Spirit to keep us close to Christ. It’s easier to stray from God than we think.
Christian believers fulfill the role of disciples—we follow Christ by relinquishing a lifestyle of independence and self-seeking desires to one of total dependence on God. To be one with Christ requires a life of continuous worship—surrender, obedience, prayer, praise, and diligent Bible study.
Many steadfast believers who accepted Christ years ago have strayed from the Path of Righteousness. At one point, they were prayer warriors living faithful and abundant lives. Yes, they can still quote the Scriptures because they used to be diligent in studying the Bible but no longer have a relationship with Christ.
Their lifestyle reveals hidden sinful habits, the acceptance of new theologies and philosophies, and a semblance of worship but their hearts do not belong to Christ. Sadly many believers have apostatized because the darkness of this world’s pleasures has blinded their eyes to Jesus, the Light of the World.
The Consequences of Apostasy: “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” —Hebrews 6:4-6
The Struggles of New Believers: New believers endure one of the toughest struggles in transitioning to their new life in Christ due to a lack of understanding of the tribulations every believer must face throughout their earthly journey.
Yes, it’s exciting when you first accept Christ but when your friends and family forsake you for becoming a Christian then you must choose the Divine over the familiar. Many times your walk with Christ is lonely. Unbelieving friends and family will not understand your decision to follow Jesus.
“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” —Acts 14:22
The Scriptures reveal God’s commands to let go of people, habits, and activities that fail to honor Him and then the struggle to be a follower of Christ becomes real. Life with Christ involves continuous internal battles of right vs. wrong, still, we can overcome our carnal desires, thoughts, and behaviors by praying for the power of the Holy Spirit.
The good great news is that we never have to fight temptations alone, we always have Divine Help on our side!
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” —John 14:15-17
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” —1 Corinthians 10:13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13
God does not expect us to do the impossible. He never created us to bear our earthly burdens and temptations without Jesus’ Divine Intervention. When we are at our limits, trapped by out-of-control emotions, and ready to give up, pray, Jesus, I cannot stay on this journey without Your help.
“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
Something happens when we call on the name of Jesus for help—the Holy Spirit arrives immediately, and extra angels are sent from heaven to comfort us and fight the spiritual warfare we are going through. [Study Daniel chapter 9].
When you are ready to throw your Christianity [relationship with Jesus Christ] away, go to a quiet place to be alone and take a bottle of water with you. Drink the water. And then pray and cry out to Jesus, your Lord and Savior. His promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8).
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” —Isaiah 65:24
Close your eyes and believe that your prayer has been delivered to Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor by the Holy Spirit. Quietly wait and you will feel the rush of a Mighty Wind–the Holy Spirit imparting spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength throughout your mind and body. Pray a prayer of gratitude.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” —Ephesians 6:10
We do not have to be ashamed of our weaknesses. Pray daily for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to receive Divine strength. Through prayer, we have unlimited access to the Triune God, three powers dedicated to whoever calls on the name of the Lord for help. The struggle is real, but Victory through Jesus is guaranteed! We have come too far to give up!
Begin praying several times a day. Our prayers can be silent or audible. Forming the habit of staying in God’s presence during peaceful times enables us to develop a lifestyle of prayer and builds our reliance on God. Even when the overwhelming trials come, our first response will be to pray. Jesus never fails!
When we obey God’s Righteous Precepts, we can live holy because of the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit who gives us the spiritual strength to “Be Holy, for I AM Holy.”
Prayer: God, we pray for Your Divine Intervention in our lives. We are calling on You because we desperately need the presence of the Holy Spirit right now. Lord, give us strength to overcome the tribulations and temptations that threaten to separate us from You. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Worthy Name, Amen.
Today’s Devotional – The Response of a Converted Heart – November 12, 2023
Recently, I watched an interview with a younger Maya Angelou who in 1970 wrote “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” and also received the Chubb Fellowship from Yale University. The question was asked, Which college did you graduate from? Her reply, “None, although I only have a high school education, I am a professor at four universities, I have received a Chubb Fellowship from Yale University, and speak six languages, all of these accomplishments are based on my works.”
During Ms. Angelou’s final interview with Oprah Winfrey, she recounted her spiritual conversion. While having a casual conversation with a friend, he changed the subject by saying, “God loves you,” a concept she had never heard before. He instructed her to say “God loves me.” At first, she casually repeated the words, God loves me over and over without any emotion. Then he asked her to close her eyes and say it with conviction. This time when she said, God loves me, she felt the love of God in her heart and cried like a little child. At that moment, Ms. Angelou accepted Christ, and her heart was converted.
During her later years, Ms. Angelou’s writings and conversations with others reflected her love for God. Like the younger Maya Angelou who expressed that her accomplishments were achieved by her works, many of today’s Christian believers are striving for earthly accolades through their works. Instead of using their spiritual gifts and talents to honor and glorify God, they strive to bring attention to themselves.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 7:21, BSB
How does a believer who accepted Christ as their personal Savior end up practicing self-glorification instead of honoring God the Giver of all good things?
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.” —Romans 12:1
Our love for God has declined. We have embraced the false belief of once saved always saved, therefore, we cease worshiping God in Spirit and truth. Like Cain, we determine how we will worship God. Because God is not first in our lives, we no longer strive for the righteousness described in the Scriptures, “Be holy, for I AM Holy”.
We go through the ritual of praying and having a casual Bible study, but we do not pray the daily prayer of surrender. Nor do we seek God’s will and plans because we already have planned our agenda for the given day and our lives which reveals an unconverted heart. This week, I read a profound quote by Francis Chan, “Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?” Jesus reminds us that only a few will enter the narrow gate [Matthew 7:13-14].
“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’ ” —Matthew 18:2-3
Why little children? Young children believe everything they hear, they are loving, faithful, trusting, and obedient always striving to please mommy and daddy. If parents nurture these qualities in their children from a young age, they have a better chance of growing into thriving, well-adjusted adults.
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17.
One author’s definition of Conversion: “The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, and the former habits must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ.”
Although we accept Christ, we have an internal battle that must be fought daily with the help of the Holy Spirit. The unconverted heart is filled with pride and selfishness. Our inherited sinful nature drives us to fulfill every thought of self-satisfaction and to follow our inclinations. Without daily surrender of our will to God, we will possess the same soul-destroying confidence the Pharisees exhibited. By practicing self-righteousness, they deemed their outward works as acceptable to God.
“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” —Luke 18:9-12
Today’s Christians usually do not compare themselves to others, we have adopted the worldview of “Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth” and we use our standard of truth to serve God. Still we desire to receive our heavenly reward, but it is impossible without a converted heart.
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” —Philippians 2:12
The converted believer prays differently, “God, I surrender my will to Your will, Your way, and Your plans for today. And I ask you to anoint me with the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Give me the wisdom and discernment before I speak and make any decisions that will impact my life. Let every word and action represent the love of Christ and honor Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.”
Sanctification is the daily [and lifelong] spiritual process of growth and transformation of our mind, character, and personality into the likeness of Christ. With our surrender and commitment, the Holy Spirit empowers us to change and gives us the strength to overcome.
Those with converted hearts realize their human limitations of not being able to save themselves. So in humility, their daily prayers resemble the tax collector’s prayer. Yes, we are sinners saved by grace, still, every day we must renew our covenant with God through a prayer of complete surrender.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” —Romans 12:2
We can pray, study the bible, attend church, and help others, yet it is impossible to change our hearts based on our efforts. Daily surrender requires a spirit of humility. Even when we embrace 100% of God’s Truth, the human heart naturally resists surrendering to God and others. How many times have we said or done wrong injuring others but adamantly refused to surrender and repent?
Do not coddle your heart! The greatest battles come from within fueled by the deceitfulness of believing that spiritually all is well. When Jesus says, You can do nothing without me, believe Him! Reflect deeply on His revelation of our limitations. Each day by giving God complete control of our minds, we are converted by Christ’s righteousness breathed into us by the Holy Spirit.
The righteous are privileged. We receive God’s favor and blessings every day. What else can we give to Jesus, our King that is more important than the surrender of our hearts? Obedience is our highest act of worship. To completely give ourselves to God is not giving up our free will, we surrender our mind to God because we love Him, and know that we cannot change our carnal hearts.
The trajectory of our lives must change. We have to change everything about ourselves before we can go to heaven. When we strive to do our best, Christ becomes our righteousness, and the Holy Spirit works daily to transform us. When we put forth the human effort to get rid of our unrighteous habits and behaviors, we are covered by the love, grace, and mercies of God. And Christ our Heavenly Intercessor works with the Holy Spirit to produce a righteous character.
Perhaps we should declare “God loves me” with conviction and verbalize gratitude throughout our waking hours. Saying, God, I love You proves that we serve Him because our hearts belong to Him and we appreciate everything He has done and is doing to save our souls. Certainly, the Father who gave Jesus, His only Son for us deserves to hear that He is loved.
A believer who desires a converted heart lives with the mindset of “I surrender all,” readily inviting Christ every day into their heart by asking Him to sanctify them through His Righteousness.
Prayer: “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Jesus, we thank You for loving us and we love You. Thank You for your loving sacrifice and your grace and mercies. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
The Long-Distance Runner, Today’s Devotional November 10, 2023
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV
There are three attributes a Christian must possess to be a distance runner in the Christian race, love for God, discipline [self-control], and structure leading to completion.
Love produces the willingness to surrender to God and serve Him with faithful obedience. Every day we pray the prayer of surrender and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will for the given day. We nourish our souls with the life-giving words of God by diligently studying the Holy Scriptures and building our relationship with Christ by praying throughout our waking hours.
Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit. With our gift of an intelligent and sound mind, we embrace and practice discipline by not participating in harmful-sinful behaviors. We adhere to Scriptural guidelines which identify God’s perfect choices to keep us aligned with His will and focused on Christ. Obedience and self-control result in the spiritual well-being of our minds, bodies, and souls. By carefully selecting only the activities, foods, and friends that honor God, we optimize our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health to run, run, run!
From studying the Creation story, we find God’s Characteristics include structure and completion. Stop multi-tasking! We have no evidence in the Bible that God or Jesus in His earthly life did several things at once. Multi-tasking is a human-derived concept [originating from spiritual warfare] that creates chaotic thinking, increased stress, and wearies our minds and bodies.
“And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” —Mark 6:31
Too much on our agendas not only causes frustration and fatigue but we are too exhausted to have effectual personal worship with God. The secret closet time away from spouse and children is the time in which we receive spiritual restoration and strength from the Holy Spirit. God never expects us to be in church for every service, meeting, and community outreach activity. Even Jesus established boundaries when ministering to the multitudes.
Filling our schedules to the point that we do not have downtime results in a spirit of defeat. Multi-tasking and tight schedules prevent us from receiving our Divine gifts of joy and peace. When our schedules are full, the first area to suffer is our relationship with Christ. We skip worship, defer Bible study, and mumble quick prayers which prevents us from receiving the spiritual sustenance required to run the race.
Developing a work-life-task balance results in a structured lifestyle that allows us to enjoy our earthly lives and stay close to Christ. Completing our daily tasks gives us a sense of accomplishment and validates a job well done. In the Creation Story, after Christ completed His work, He reflected “…And God saw that it was good” (Genesis, Chapter 1), and was happy with the perfect outcome.
Distractions come in many forms, yet, God has endowed us with the ability to use our sound minds. By saying no to people, places, and things we can accomplish our goals. Believers can learn much from long-distance and marathon runners who live extremely structured lives. These disciplined athletes possess an invincible mindset and never lose sight of their overall goal, to win the race!
“Hellen Onsando Obiri (born 13 December 1989) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won multiple world titles in indoor track.” Wikipedia
Unless we are long-distance runners, we can only imagine the response of the human body exposed to daily rigorous training and one that is placed under the subjection of a disciplined and structured mind. The results speak for themselves, she stands alone in her victories.
Something is awry when we have individuals who are willing to adopt and adhere to the stringent guidelines and training necessary to run long-distance races for earthly prizes but as Christians running in the spiritual race. we become distracted, discouraged, and falter when facing trials and obstacles.
The Apostle Paul compares our spiritual journey to running a long-distance race that requires endurance and perseverance. God never expected us to become long-distance runners without His Divine Intervention. Throughout the Scriptures, we have the instructions necessary to place our minds and bodies into subjection to Jesus Christ who freely gives us the grace to win the Long-Distance Race.
Earthly runners win based on their efforts, but we were created to run and win the race by using our human effort to reach out and ask for the Holy Spirit to empower us with the wisdom, discernment, and strength to keep running until Jesus comes again [Revelation 22:12].
Guidelines for the Christian Runner
“So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. 15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.’ ” —1 Peter 1:13-16, Amplified Bible
The human effort of loving and obeying God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds allows us to receive supernatural strength from the Three Divine Powers of the Triune Godhead, God, the Father, God, Jesus the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. With a spiritual mindset to run until the end, our daily prayers for Divine Help are received by the Holy Spirit who relays them to Christ, our Intercessor, and He answers our cries for help immediately. Every day we receive the spiritual fortification that empowers us to adhere to God’s stringent spiritual standards of holiness to win the long-distance race!
God required Jesus to learn obedience in His earthly life, to live in poverty, and during His ministry “not have a place to lay His head” [homelessness] and to be obedient unto death on the cross.
How far are you willing to go for God? It’s a question we rarely think about, yet, our answer to the question determines whether we will receive our reward of eternal life from Christ or throw in the towel from disappointment and exhaustion.
Like the early Christians, will we keep running despite the earthly outcome [Read Hebrews 11:35-39], or we will cease running as the rich, young ruler did, and turn and walk away with sorrow? [Read Mark 10:21-22]. If we do not have knowledge of Moses, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their spiritual journeys then our answer will be based on conjecture instead of the actual distance God requires of us.
To train as a runner in the Spiritual Long-Distance race, we must dedicate ourselves to surrendering and obeying God’s Spiritual Guidelines for runners. With perseverance, we consecrate ourselves by making a daily covenant vow to let go of every habit, behavior, and person that prevents us from winning the Race!
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” —Romans 8:18
In Jesus’ Name, Run Brothers and Sisters, Run!
Prayer: God, from this day forward, we surrender ourselves to be long-distance runners in the Christian race. We pray for a Divine blessing of anointing, power, wisdom, and strength to do Your will and to keep running until Jesus comes. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
You must be logged in to post a comment.