Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – Matthew 5:16

Posted on April 3, 2023

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. – Matt 5:16 (NLT)

Sometimes people just want to see you walk this Christian life out. They want to see if Jesus really changes your everyday life or if your faith in Jesus is just all talk. Nothing speaks as loudly about your faith as what you do. The things you do everyday shine your message to the world.

Let God help you to show good deeds to those around you. As He does, people will take notice. You’re not doing it to be noticed, but as you do good deeds for Jesus it does make an impact on others around you.

This Bible verse says that they will then praise your heavenly Father. When they see your good works and ask you about the difference in your life, tell them it’s because of Jesus in your life. This will help them to know who to glorify when they see the good things in your life.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Corinthians 6:20

Posted on March 31, 2023

God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.” -1 Cor 6:20 (CEV)

It takes a lot of work to see yourself as God sees you. It’s easier to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. You see how you don’t say the right thing or do as good in school as a friend does. You see how no matter how hard you practice, you aren’t as good as the other players on the volleyball team. All the comparison can make you feel discouraged.

However, there is hope. Regardless of whether you say the right thing or make the winning point for your team, to God, you have value. God paid a great price for you. You have value because God was willing to give everything He had to bring you into a relationship with you.

Today’s Truth: You have value because God was willing to give everything He had to get you.

So if you have struggled with insecurities, failure, and low self-esteem be encouraged. God doesn’t love you based on your ability, nothing you could ever do would make Him love you more than He already does. So because God loves you in such a deep way, it causes us to want to honor Him.

It makes us want to know Him, to get into His word and to live differently. That’s what today’s Bible verse is saying. Because God paid such a high price for us, we should now live our lives in ways that honor Him.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 15:5

Posted on March 30, 2023

I have a Fitbit. I really like it. And it’s really nice because it does more than just track my steps or tell me the time. I’m able to control music from the watch. I can answer calls, view texts and lots of other things. When my watch is connected to my phone, it allows me so much more features than by itself. And that’s a little like how we are in relationship to Jesus. Check out today’s verse:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5 (NIV)

We see in this verse that we are connected to Jesus. If we remain in Him, we have more power and things available to us that we do apart from Him.

So back to the idea of the Fitbit, my watch stays connected to my phone all day long via Bluetooth. As long as that connection is made, what happens on my phone is sent to my watch. And when I do something on my watch it’s sent to my phone.

That’s the idea Jesus gives us in this verse. As we’re connected to Him, we bear fruit. If we allow who He is to connect with who we are, we see good things happen in our lives. It’s all about that connection. We were created to connect with Him. So if you haven’t determine to make a connection with Jesus. Spend time each day just talking to Him. Spend time in God’s word. As you do, you’ll grow in God and bear much fruit.

Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – Proverbs 22:1

Posted on March 29, 2023

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. – Prov 22:1 (NIV)

This wisdom from the Bible just works. It worked thousands of years ago and it works today. People are remembered for what kind of person they are. If you treated people fairly or poorly, it will get around. Each decision to be honest with your money and honest with people adds up to eventually make a name for yourself.

Having a good name goes along way. That’s why it really is more desirable than riches. A great name comes from a great reputation of how you treated things and people. Your reputation either opens or closes doors for you. Why? Because people people use it to know if they can trust you or not. Your reputation over time speaks volumes about you that resounds for years and years to come.

When people are watching and when they are not, take the high road. Choose to be honest with your money. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Little by little, these good decisions will create a positive name for yourself. People will trust you and want to participate with you in opportunities that might not come to you otherwise.

Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – Phil 2:13

Posted on March 28, 2023

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. – Phil 2:13 (NLT)

Many people believe that following God takes a lot of willpower. However, this Bible verse states that God is able to work in you and gives you both the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That means you don’t have to do it on your own. God helps you live the Christian life.

In the same way, many people think that following God means doing things you don’t want to do. As you follow Jesus and get into God’s word, He places His desires in you. That makes following God easier because it isn’t hard work, it’s something you desire to do as you get close to Him.

Following Jesus isn’t scary or hard work. It’s simply a choice you make. As you choose to follow after Him and His word your desires will line up with His. It isn’t hard work because you want to do things that please Him.

Today be encouraged. You can follow God. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve messed up or done the wrong thing. You can always find a fresh start in Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Posted on March 27, 2023

Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so Christ could make us acceptable to God.  – 2 Cor 5:21 (CEV)

Most of us are driven to be accepted. Whether it’s acceptance from a group of students at school, or from your parents, or maybe even at a job, our need for acceptance is strong. When you don’t feel accepted, it can shake your confidence. It can make you fear others or certain situations.

Part of not letting your confidence get shaken by the actions of others is realizing that you’re accepted by God. When you believe on Jesus and the power of what He did on the cross and accept Him as Lord of your life the Bible says that you are now acceptable to God.

That means that no matter how you feel and no matter how others treat you, you’ve been accepted. There’s power in seeing yourself the way God sees you. Instead of seeing all the areas you fail and mess up. God sees you in Christ. God doesn’t see the hurts, rejection, fears, and baggage, rather He sees a person who is perfect and complete in Him.

The hard part for us is really believing that truth. It’s easy to let our feelings and hurts from rejection be more real to us than the fact that in Christ we’re accepted. So if you struggle with rejection and hurt begin to think about this scripture. Realize that there is power in seeing yourself as God sees you.

Today’s Truth: God sees you accepted in Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Galatians 5:14

Posted on March 24, 2023

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14

I remember taking a class one semester that was a study of books. Some of the books we had to read were really complicated. There were times when I was reading, and I just didn’t really understand the plot of the book. I wasn’t trying to cheat or anything, but I just didn’t get what the book was about. So sometimes, I’d begin to do a Google search. I’d look for a summary of the chapter or the book to help me understand what I was reading.

I wasn’t trying to get out of reading the book, but the summary simply helped me better understand the material. In the same way, today’s verse tells us it’s like a summary of the law in the Old Testament. And just like the summaries I found online, this summary makes it easier to understand. When we love others, we are fulfilling the law.

So for example, we wouldn’t steal from ourselves. That would be really silly. In the same way, we wouldn’t murder ourselves. Usually, we are always looking out for our own best interests. However, this verse shows us that we should be treating other people like we treat ourselves. Loving people like this is hard work. It will take some retraining of old habits, but it’s the goal God encourages us to strive for.

If you struggle with loving others, don’t feel bad, we all do from time to time. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Maybe He can give you an idea for an area you can improve or show you a simple way that you can begin to love others more. Determine to let today’s verse not just be an empty suggestion, but rather the way you choose to live your life each day.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Hebrews 4:15-16

Posted on March 23, 2023

Do you ever question God’s love for you? Do you ever wonder if He really cares? Perhaps you think, God has so many people to be concerned about, does He really have time to help me with my math class that I’m struggling in? It’s easy to think that perhaps God is too busy for you. Or maybe because you’ve messed up, or not been the perfect Christian, He will skip over you and go to someone else that seems more “worthy”.

Here’s the truth. God loves you. He cares about you, and thankfully that love and care has absolutely nothing to do with how good you are. Not that you shouldn’t try to be good, of course, you should be living your life to please Jesus. But His care for you is totally separate from your performance.

He cares for you and sees you through Jesus. It’s the perfection of Jesus that God sees when He looks at us. So it doesn’t matter if you’ve been perfect, it doesn’t matter if you’ve made all the right choices. What matters is that what Jesus did was enough. And God said it was.

 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help. – Hebrews 4:15-16 (CEV)

That’s good news for you. That means that God hears you. He sees you, He feels your pain and understands it completely. So know that you are loved much more than you can ever know or imagine. You are so important to God and His plan on the earth.

Today’s Truth: God Knows What You’re Going Through and He Cares About You.

Regardless of the things you’re going through and how difficult they might feel, don’t believe the lie that God doesn’t care. He’s there and He’s walking with you through it one day at a time.

God cares about what you're going through

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 3:17

Posted on March 22, 2023

“God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! – John 3:17 (TPT)

The gospel is good news. Jesus wasn’t sent to condemn you. He came to rescue you. That means you have value to God. To God, it doesn’t matter the sin you’ve committed, your upbringing, or social status. God loves you and sent His son to be your savior.

Don’t allow yourself to believe the lie that you don’t matter. God sees you as important and your life has a purpose. In the midst of all of the challenges of life, keep your focus on Jesus. Let His value and opinion of you be the one that counts.

Jesus came to rescue you. So today choose to see the value he sees in you and in others. Know that you are vital to God’s plan on the earth!

Today’s Truth: You are vital to God’s Plan on Earth.

Daily Bible Verse 2 Timothy 1:12

Posted on March 21, 2023

I remember there were some years that I connected with a teacher more than others. When I had a teacher I really enjoyed, it made learning more interesting to me.

In the same way, reading the Bible is more interesting when we know God. When we’ve taken time out of the busyness of life to spend time with Him, it makes a difference. When you know someone and enjoy them, you get more out of what they teach you, just like when you connect with a teacher, it helps you enjoy their class more.

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. – 2 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

In today’s verse, we see that Paul knew whom he believed. Not only did he believe, but he knew the person he believed. This speaks of Paul’s relationship with God. It wasn’t just a stale and dry relationship. Instead, because Paul enjoyed spending time with God, He knew God in a deep and fresh way.

Paul loved God, and knew God. Knowing God in a deep way makes life more fun and interesting. So today, take time to get to know God. Don’t just know about Him, rather get to know Him. Do whatever it takes to have a real, deep intimate relationship with Him.