Are you looking for peace and happiness? Do you want a better life? Only one person, our redeemer, has the holiness, wholeness, power, and grace to be our all in all.

Colossians 1:13-14 points out Christ’s role as our Redeemer. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

To redeem means to buy back, restore, or free from blame or debt. In reference to Jesus, He redeemed us from sin and eternal separation from God by sacrificing His life on the cross to pay the debt for our sins.

Yes, Jesus is the One able to rescue us from the domain of darkness, redeem us from sin, and transfer us to His kingdom, taking us to the holy heights of heaven. So we look to the cross and our resurrected Lord. We turn to the Bible and anticipate Christ’s return. We know that as Jesus kept His Word and came once for salvation, He’ll return to redeem us out of this world and take us to our eternal home. 

Our redemption is closer today than it was yesterday. Praise Him!

Lord Jesus, REDEEMER, I’m closer to heaven today than I was yesterday. I’m closer to seeing Your incredible beauty. Thank You for rescuing me from the domain of darkness. I love You and pray Your light shines in my heart and blesses others. 

 Do you ever wonder if we’re in the end times? Would you like to learn more about the signs of the end times? Grab a copy of Debbie’s Bible study, End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do HERE. Access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

Have you noticed that people in our nation are often at odds with one another? “What an understatement,” you may say. And, you’re right. Rioting in the name of peaceful protests. Name-calling and accusations. One faction looks at the other as an enemy. 

In light of that, did you know Romans 5:10 says we were once enemies of God? Gulp. Not a good position! But how did we get into such a predicament, you may be wondering? Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and reject His ways (Genesis 3). This became known as “the fall.” Since then, every part of our world and our being has been affected by sin’s consequences. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.”

How, then, did we get on the right side of God so we’re not His enemy? Romans 5:10 answers that question. “We were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.” It continues, “…we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 3:24 also says, “[we are] justified as a gift by His [God’s] grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” 

No one wants to be on the wrong side of an issue. No one wants to be on the wrong side of God. We have Jesus to thank for reconciling us to our glorious Heavenly Father.

Jesus, mighty RECONCILER, thank You for reconciling me to God through Your death on the cross. I rejoice and praise You!

Would you like to deepen your relationship with God? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you grow in your walk with the Lord. We offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

Are you a zoomer or a wanderer at the grocery store? Have you ever noticed that there are two types of people at the grocery store?

First, there’s the zoomer. They know what they want, where it is, and are in a fast dash to get in and get out.

Second, there’s the wanderer. They’re not sure what they want, and they slowly push their cart around from one side of the aisle to the other at a snail’s pace.

Which are you? Which is better? The fact is, our world needs both slow- and fast-paced people. God created each of us as unique individuals.

Instead of being critical of people who are different from us, Romans 12:10 tells us to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love; to give preference to one another in honor.” That’s a good reminder whether we’re at the grocery store or anywhere else.

Have you ever been driving and keeping your eyes on the road when suddenly a car came up too fast behind you? If so, do you remember the startling feeling? Do you remember hoping the driver would slow down rather than rear-end you?

Often, we speak of the Lord leading us, but Isaiah 52:12 also speaks of the Lord as watching out for our backs: “…the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

In Isaiah 52:12, God is referred to as a rear guard when the Israelites escaped Egyptian bondage. 

God is also our rear guard. He watches over us, leads us, and not until heaven will we know how many times He’s protected us from encroaching evil and danger. 

Just as it was important for Moses and the Israelites to pay attention to and follow God’s instructions, it’s important for us to pay attention and follow His instructions. 

How do God’s warnings and instructions come to us? They come through the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s promptings. 

How well are we paying attention to our Rear Guard?

Lord, thank You for being my REAR GUARD and for all the ways You watch over me and protect me. Help me be ever sensitive to Your warnings. I love You. 

In addition to being our rear guard, the Lord is also our fortress. Debbie discusses this further in her blog post, “A Good Place to Be.” To read the full post, click HERE. 

Did you see the movie, Ransom?

Mel Gibson played the father of the son who was kidnapped. There was no way the kidnapped son could free himself. The kidnappers demanded the father pay a certain price, a ransom, to get his son back.

That’s what our Heavenly Father did for us. 

We were captives in sin so our Heavenly Father gave Jesus as the ransom to pay for our freedom. 

Was it only our Father’s idea? No. First Timothy 2:6 says that Jesus was in one accord with the Father. “…Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” 

Yes, our sweet Lord gave Himself as a ransom so we could be reunited with Him and our Heavenly Father forever.

How do we become free from sin? We say “yes” to the offer of Jesus being our ransom so we are released from captivity to sin and Satan.

Lord Jesus, I praise You, my RANSOM, my Lord. 

Would you like to learn more about how Jesus demonstrated His love for us as well as His command to love one another? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 13 HERE.

Death. It seems so final. 

I’d prepared for my mother’s death because she’d been ill for a long time. But the casket. The cemetery. I broke down weeping. Some family members whispered they were surprised at my grief, but all I could think of was how much I was going to miss her.

What does Jesus want us to know about death? What did He prove when He raised Lazarus and others from the dead? 

Jesus wants us to know that death isn’t final. In fact, Jesus describes death as sleep. Just as someone rouses us from sleep by calling our name, Jesus will rouse us from death as He states in John 5:25. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25).

Isn’t it comforting to know that after you pass from this earth you will hear Christ’s voice and awake in His presence? 

There are no better, more comforting words we could hear. Who do you need to share them with?

Lord, who RAISES THE DEAD IN CHRIST, thank You for Your eternal promise that I will one day see You and my loved ones who have died in faith in You.

We hope you are encouraged by the 365 Days of Praise e-devotional. If so, use the social media icons, below, to share it on your favorite social media platform to help others discover it too!

“You look radiant.” Do people say that when they see you? Does the glow on your face cause them to comment? If you said no, neither has anyone said that about me. Guess who that is said about, though? Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 describes Him as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

The word “radiance” is only used 5 times in the Bible and each reference is to God. 

Commentator Vines defines God’s “radiance” as “shining forth, of a light coming from a luminous body.”

One day we will see Jesus in all His radiance. So remember that when things around you are dark. Jesus is radiant, not dark. Look to Him. Go through His attributes and the revelations of His divine character. Turn your face from the darkness to His glorious nature.

Nothing can extinguish Christ’s radiance. One glorious day we’ll join those who are living in God’s radiance. We’ll fall on our knees and worship Him. 

The day is coming when we will either go to Jesus or He returns through the clouds. Keep watching and living for Him.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, my heart is overwhelmed when I think of how I will one day behold You in Your RADIANT glory. I praise You and look with anticipation to that day. 

Jesus is referred to as the Light several times in the book of John. Want to learn more? Watch this video clip of Debbie’s teaching on the subject.

“Lord, are You there? Speak to me.” Have you ever wanted to hear from God? If so, be encouraged. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God is in our midst. He’s a victorious warrior but also quiet in His love. 

What does that mean? 

I like to think of when I’ve held our little ones. My heart felt like it could jump out of my chest because I’ve been so full of love for them. However, I’ve not been loud with them. Instead, I held them close to my heart and wondered if they could feel my heartbeat as their little bodies nestled against me.

God is magnificent. He is larger than life, the creator of life, in fact. The Bible is His love letter to us. If we wish God would speak to us, we need to recognize that He has. 

Open the Bible. Hold it close to your heart. Feel God’s heartbeat as you read His Word. Listen for what He is lovingly saying to you.

Zephaniah 3:17 captures both the Lord’s magnificence and His quiet love. “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” 

Lord, thank You that although You are majestic in glory, You are also QUIET IN LOVE for me. Help me feel Your heartbeat as I read Your Word. Help me know Your love in new ways. 

Let God speak to you through one of our free online Bible studies. Click HERE to access them. 

Do you ever feel sluggish? You know—blah? Can’t quite find your “get up and go” even though there are things you could be, should be doing? 

Nobody likes that feeling. So what do we do when we don’t feel motivated to pray, work, or get moving? We lift up our souls to God (Psalm 143:8). 

We read God’s Word regardless of how we feel and while reading we are encouraged and inspired. God’s thoughts become our thoughts. His passions become our passions. 

We ask our Heavenly Father to give us the mind and energy of Christ. 

The King James Version of 1 Corinthians 15:45 contrasts the first man, Adam, with the “last Adam,” Jesus, in this way: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a Quickening Spirit.”

Jesus’ quickening Spirit arouses and invigorates us. 

Christ-followers are not spiritually dead. We’re spiritually alive in Christ. Pray and ask God to fill you with His Quickening Spirit. Then pay attention to what He quickens (nudges, prompts) you to do. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus who is a QUICKENING SPIRIT! Arouse and invigorate me to do Your will. 

Want to deepen your understanding of the Holy Spirit? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit. This study will help you understand the Holy Spirit’s role in the Christian life and respond to His leading and presence. Click HERE to listen. 

Are you a bird watcher? My friend, Janice, loves bird watching and can tell you about a variety of birds. I know a cardinal from a hummingbird, but you might not want to test me past that.

The amazing thing about birds is they build nests and eat, but as Jesus points out, they don’t sow seeds or gather grain into barns to sustain themselves. Why did Jesus get on the subject of birds in Matthew 6:25-27 when He was giving a sermon?

The people He was speaking to were worried about what they were going to eat and what they were going to wear. Jesus comforted them that just as God takes care of the birds, He’ll take care of us.

The next time you start to worry, look at the birds and remember Jesus’s words. You are far more valuable than the birds. Your Heavenly Father will take care of you.