Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 4:32

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 – Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:15

Big decisions can be scary. Maybe you’re finishing up school and you’re having to determine a career or college path. It can be really difficult to know what to pick. You may feel overwhelmed and stuck not wanting to make the wrong choice.

Today’s Bible verse talks about letting peace rule in your heart. This means that you’ve got to choose to let peace rule in your heart. You can decide to let the decision-making process be overwhelming and let it consume you to where you’re stressed out and fearful. Or you can determine to let the peace of God rule in your heart.

Today’s Truth: Even in uncertainty, you can live in peace. God wants to lead your steps.

Even when you’re uncertain, you can live in peace. You can be confident that God will lead you to the right decision. God doesn’t want big decisions to stress you out. He wants to help you, lead you, and guide you to the right path.

So today, if a big decision has you stressed out, take some time to spend with God. Get into His presence. Remind yourself that even in uncertainty, you can choose to be at peace. God will lead you. He wants to speak to you. Just get quiet and learn to listen to His leading.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 2:10

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

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 – Psalm 37:23

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. – Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Have you ever watched a couple when they first started dating? They stare into each other’s eyes, giggle about every little thing the other person says. They have all these silly jokes. When people first start dating, the newness of their relationship makes them delight in each other. They can’t wait to see the other person. And just thinking of that person makes them smile.

God wants you to delight in Him. Not just to go to him on a Sunday for a little pep talk, but to really delight in Him. To be excited to spend time with Him and just hear what He has to say. He wants you to get to know Him and show you important things about your future.

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To get God’s plan for your future, you’ve got to invest some time into getting to know God. You’ve got to get into God’s word and be open to hear and act on what you hear Him speak. You’ve got to make yourself open to Him and his desires. As you do, God will direct your steps. He will show you the right decision to make and help you through the decision making process.

God wants to lead you and guide you. Be open to what He has to say and don’t be afraid to step out and do what He is telling you to do. Be fearless and step out today.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Judges 17:13

“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

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

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

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.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Corinthians 7:23

God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. – 1 Corinthians 7:23 (NLT)

Have you noticed how easy it is to get sucked into the things going on around you? You might get pulled into being worried about your weight or looks. Perhaps you get sucked into worrying about your social status at school.

There are so many things yelling for your attention, it’s easy to get sucked into the superficial things of this world. However, today’s Bible verse tells us that God paid a high price for us. That means we matter and we’re important.

Today’s Truth: God paid a high price for us. That means we matter and are important.

When you spend some time thinking about how important you are to God and how much He loves you, it makes the stuff going on at school and home seem a bit less important. So today, spend some time thinking about your value to God. Remind yourself of how important you are to Him and how He paid a big price to bring you into His family. Be encouraged – you are important to God.

 

 

God paid a high price for us. That means we matter and are important.