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Daily Devotional

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 15:9

Posted on March 18, 2024

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. – John 15:9 (NIV)

This verse compares the love of Jesus to us to how God loves Jesus. What an interesting comparison. In the ministry of Jesus, we continually see Jesus comparing natural things to the kingdom of God. But in this verse, we see that Jesus compares his love for us to nothing we can see in our world.

Why does He do that?

My guess would be that it’s because the way most loving relationships work in our world is flawed. Relationships don’t last. Brothers sometimes end up hating others. And Jesus knew that. He knew that our earthly relationships were flawed.

That’s why He decided to compare His love for us to God’s love for Him. God’s love for Him was always good. It always thought the best about Jesus and was pleased with Him. And that’s how Jesus sees us. He loves us with a perfect love.

Our job then is to remain in that love. We have to not let thoughts and emotions sway us away from God’s love. We can’t let people or the lies of the enemy tell us that we’re not of value. The truth is, Jesus loves you, that love won’t change, so we need to remain in Jesus’ love.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 16:33

Posted on March 15, 2024

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

If you’ve seen the news lately, you’ve seen that there is so much trouble going on right now in the world. Yet Jesus said in the middle of trouble we could have peace.

How can that be? How can we find peace in a world that seems full of turmoil? It’s by knowing Jesus. When you know Jesus, you have everything you need to get through each challenge and difficulty. Knowing Jesus and knowing what He has done for you, sets you free to face even the hardest circumstances with joy.

It’s not going to say that you’re happy you’re facing something tough, however, you know that in the middle of it all, you’re not alone. God sees you. He knows you. He will never leave you, even if it feels like He has. He knows where you’re at. If you trust Him, and let Him be enough, you can get through anything that life brings your way.

Today’s Truth: Jesus is peace when we’re surrounded by trouble. 

Even as crazy as things are right now in the world, we can choose to live in peace. We can choose to not let fear rule our lives. Why? Because we know that God is good. God will never leave us alone, and we don’t have to fear the trouble in the world. Jesus came to bring us peace.

So today, if you’ve allowed your heart to become afraid, spend some time in God’s word. As you do, you’ll find that it’s so much easier to be at peace when you know God is good and will always see you through.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 139:1

Posted on March 14, 2024

O  lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. – Psalm 139:1

It can be easy to get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and not like what you see. You might wish you were taller, had a different hair color, or were more outgoing. Its easy to want to beat yourself up for not looking, acting, or being a certain way.

What’s really great about God is that He looks at your heart. This verse tells us that God has examined our hearts and knows everything about us. And the great thing is, He still likes us. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see all your flaws, short comings, or failures. God sees you in Jesus. In Jesus you are perfect and complete.

Today’s Truth: In Jesus, you are perfect and complete.

God sees you as a person of worth. He loves you more than you can ever know. So instead of getting down on yourself because of how you look or how you act, choose instead to see yourself like God sees you. Choose to see yourself as a person of worth. You are someone that God paid a huge price to get to know!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 4:32

Posted on March 13, 2024

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ – Eph 4:32

I had a job once working at a restaurant. My boss decided it was his job to go out of his way to be mean to me. He’d try to get me to drop plates of food and mess up. Each day, I dreaded going to work because of him. He was never friendly to me, and always seemed to have a grudge against me, for no reason that I could understand.

Every day at work, I challenged myself to do what this verse said. I didn’t react, or respond to him in anger. I wasn’t mean back to him. I was always kind even though he was so mean to me. It didn’t happen immediately, but eventually, my boss stopped giving me such a hard time.

Sometimes the best response to someone who isn’t nice is to do what this verse says. Be kind to those who aren’t nice to you, forgive them when they don’t treat you right. You can do this because God did the same thing to you. He forgave you even when you didn’t deserve it. So even when it’s hard to treat others with kindness, it’s the right thing to do in light of what God did for you.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 2:10

Posted on March 8, 2024

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

It’s easy to let people and circumstances make you feel bad. Maybe someone said something to you that made you feel like you weren’t worth anything. Perhaps school is hard for you and so it’s easy to feel like you’re not important.

When you begin to feel that way, often you enter into relationships and allow yourself to be treated poorly. That’s not how God sees you, however. God sees you as a masterpiece. He created you, knows you, and knows the plans he has for you.

Today’s Truth: God sees your value.

So don’t allow yourself to feel bad if people haven’t seen your value. What matters is that God does and He loves you in a big way. So today encourage yourself that you can make it. Your life is important and matters to God.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Corinthians 5:19

Posted on March 7, 2024

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. – 2 Cor 5:19 (NIV)

Most people keep track of all the times people had done wrong by them. They recall the rumor someone started about them, then the time that they felt like they were mistreated by the math teacher, and they pile up thing after thing that other people have done to them and keep track of each hurt and offense

While we as humans often remember each offense against us, aren’t you glad God doesn’t do that? God is not counting our sins against us. That’s the good news of the gospel. And the gospel isn’t just for you, it’s for the world.

Today, thank God for reconciling you through Jesus and forgiving you of all your sins. Look for opportunities today to share this good news with someone that doesn’t know it.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Judges 17:13

Posted on March 5, 2024

“I know the LORD will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” – Judges 17:13 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to do things your own way? And then just asked God to bless it, hoping it would all work out? That’s a lot like what Micah was trying to do in Judges 17:13. He wasn’t doing anything the way God had asked Israel to do or in the way God had told them to worship. Instead, Micah was doing what he wanted, and then hoping that God would bless it.

And if we’re honest, how many times do we do that ourselves. Maybe we want to date someone that we know isn’t a good person for us to date. But we really think they’re cute, so we go ahead and date them, and just hope that God blesses it.

Or in future plans, maybe you really feel like God is calling you to one career, but maybe you think that others will think less of you if you pursue it. So instead, you do your own thing, hoping that God will bless it.

We do this all the time in many areas of our lives. We do what we want and hope that God will bless it. And it’s true that God does want to bless and help us. However, as true followers of Jesus, shouldn’t our desire be Him, and what He wants above all else? Shouldn’t we be trying to follow after Him, not what others think?

Today, challenge yourself to follow after God with your whole heart. Don’t be like Micah who tried to do his own thing and then just asked God to bless it at some point. Instead, go to God. Desire what He desires. And in doing so, you’ll find things work out for your good when you follow after Him.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Matthew 22:14

Posted on March 4, 2024

I never had any difficulty believing that God had a plan for my life. I wanted to do something big for God. In fact, I hated many times being a teenager and feeling like I had to wait until I was older to do something for God. Maybe you sometimes feel that way. Perhaps you wonder what God’s plan is for your life, or hope that it’s doing something really important or big.

For many are called, but few are chosen – Matthew 22:14

Today’s verse says that many are called, but few are chosen. What does that mean when it comes to fulfilling God’s plan for your life? I think it might mean that God is calling many people to do things for Him. But often, we want to be older before we do it. Or perhaps we think that we will fulfill God’s call for our life once we get a career or make enough money.

But I think today’s verse is saying many people are called to do something by God, but not all say yes to that calling. Often, we let fear hold us back. Maybe the thing we think God is calling us to seems too big. Perhaps He’s calling us to do something that is not where we feel comfortable. And so we wait and hesitate wondering if it’s really God.

The truth is, God is calling you. He has things for you to do now where you’re at. You don’t have to be more together or more successful. If God calls you, He will help you accomplish what He wants you to do. You just have to be willing. God is calling you, are you willing to do what He’s asking you to do? To not hesitate, but to step out into what He has for you?

Pray: God, I thank you that you’ve called me to something. Today I choose to not hesitate, but rather to step out into that calling, trusting that you will equip me to do the thing you’ve called me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Jeremiah 29:11

Posted on February 28, 2024

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jer 29:11 (NIV)

Have you ever taken a career placement test? You took it and answered question after question. At the end of all the questioning, you were given a list of career choices that would be good for you based on your personality. These tests can be helpful, but they’re not the answer to everything.

Tests like these forget one major thing, God. God has a purpose and a plan for your life. To really find out which career path is right for you, you’ve got to start by going to God for His wisdom. We often go to our friends, family, and tests like these to determine what we should do with our lives. And while getting advice from others and taking tests is helpful, it shouldn’t be our only input.

Instead, we should be looking to God for what He wants for our lives. We should be asking Him which college to go to. We should be asking what career is a good fit for us? And then we should be willing to do what we hear Him say.

You’ll experience much less disappointment if you follow after God and His plan for your life. So if you haven’t yet, begin to ask Him what it is you should be doing Be willing to spend some time praying and don’t be afraid to act on what He says.

Read: 3 Practical Steps to Accomplishing Your Dreams

Daily Devotions and Bible Verse – 3 John 1:2

Posted on February 27, 2024

Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually. – 3 John 1:2 Holman

In this verse John is praying not only for the believers to prosper spiritually but also physically. Not only does God want you to be spiritually doing well but He also wants you to be doing well physically. God cares about all of you, not only how you are doing spiritually.

God wants you to prosper in every way. He wants you to do well in all aspects of your life. So no matter what it is that you struggle with and no matter what you’re going through, God wants to see you doing well. Challenge yourself to believe this truth. There may be times when you feel like God doesn’t care, but the truth is, God wants every area of your life blessed and doing well.

Whatever your need is today, whether it’s something spiritually, physically, or in any other way, go to God. Get His help for all of life’s challenges.