Things aren’t always what they seem. And just because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross we might have concluded, “Jesus failed.” However, what appeared to be Jesus’ lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really, “Jesus accomplished His mission and is now at the right hand of God having died for our sins and opened the way to salvation and eternal life.”

Isaiah 52:13 prophesied that God’s plan and Jesus would be successful. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”

The Isaiah passage prophesied Jesus would be a suffering servant, lifted up on the cross for our sins.

Hebrews 12:2 gives us the rest of the story. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is high and lifted up, this time not in shame, but high and lifted up to a place of glory at the right hand of God.

What is Jesus doing in this place of exaltation? Among many things, interceding for us as Hebrews 7:25 states. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus, high and lifted up on the cross, paid our sin debt. Jesus, high and lifted up to the right hand of God is interceding for us.

Jesus, HIGH AND LIFTED UP, greatly exalted, we thank You and worship You.

NOTE to Moms (or anyone who has a mom or loves a mom): Hey Mom, we can sometimes (or often) feel like a failure. God knows how many times we fail and cry out to Him for forgiveness, strength, “overs,” wisdom, protection for our children, and that they will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. If you can relate, I encourage you to get my book, “The Plan A Mom in a Plan B World.” (A different book from The Plan A WOMAN in a Plan B World.) I had mom friends of all ages/stages share personal stories that will encourage you and provide practical/spiritual tips. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for mom groups as well. Grab a copy for Mother’s Day while it’s on sale!

PS: If you aren’t getting my monthly Kidz Time devotional activity for your kids to watch, get it here and spread the word. It’s free and it’s fun! Subscribe & it’ll be delivered to your inbox monthly. A great Saturday morning or rest time activity.

Have you spent much time considering what it would have been like to have been Joseph when he was engaged to Mary? Of course, most shocking would be that your fiancé is going to have a son before the two of you came together physically. Even more shocking would be the news that your fiancé is going to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Before Joseph could ask a question, he was told, “you will name Him Jesus.” Did he dare protest that he had planned to name his firstborn son after himself? The explanation that the name “Jesus” was selected was because he would “save His people” would no doubt have caused his heart to race. “Save our people?” That thought is a good one, but before he could process all he was being told he was given more information. The angelic messenger continued, “…from their sins.”

No doubt, Joseph wanted to blurt out, “Save people from their sins? Only God can do that.”

And that is exactly what Jesus did. Mary bore God’s Son, as Matthew 1:23 records, “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”

You can’t get more “with us” than to be born through Mary’s body to live among us and die for us.

Yes, it’s good to contemplate how the angel’s announcement impacted Joseph, but it is also good to contemplate the impact of the angel’s announcement for us.

Lord Jesus, Immanuel, we praise You. You’re not a God who is far removed nor have you left us to die in our sins. Rather, You came from heaven to earth, IMMANUEL, to be with us. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Do you know someone who needs to be reminded today that God is with us? Scroll down and click on “Forward to a Friend” to share this blog post.

“If only I can exercise and eat right….” “If only I could drink from the fountain of youth.” Have you heard people say either in their pursuit to put off dying? People long to be immortal. But why? The reason is because it’s in the human heart to want to live. We’re wired that way as Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

God has “set eternity in the human heart.” It makes sense because we were created in God’s image and He is immortal, as 1 Timothy 6:15-16 explains. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

What does it mean that Jesus is immortal? The Greek word in this passage is athanasia and means deathlessness, undying. Jesus is immortal and has set the desire for immortality in our hearts. But how can we mortals become immortal?

We must go to Jesus and acknowledge that He alone is the source of life. We must confess our sins and drink deeply from Him, the Fountain of Life, as John 4:14 tells us. “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Yes, we must drink from Jesus rather than the fictitious “Fountain of Youth.”

Have you drunk from the wellspring of eternal life Jesus offers? If so, who do you know who needs to drink also from Him?

IMMORTAL Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank You for giving us immortality. Use us to share the good news with others.

Want to learn more about the living water offered by Jesus, the Fountain of Life, in John 4? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 4 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

“I wish I could see God.”

Have you ever said those words or wished you could ask God for His opinion on a particular subject?

If so, look at Jesus. Study His time on earth. Pay attention to His teachings. Why? Because Colossians 1:15 says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word “image” in this verse comes from a Greek word that means an exact replica, representation, or ‘picture’ of an original.” In other words, Jesus is the picture of His Father, of God. No doubt, you’ve seen a child and said, “They look and act just like their mother or father.” That is the case with Jesus and His Father, God.

Jesus is “spitting image” of God. What is the difference between them? Nothing. When we read about Jesus in the Bible and listen to His words, we are looking at God and listening to His words.

If it has been a while since you’ve read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, read it slowly and carefully. Listen as if you were sitting with Jesus and He was talking directly to you. Consider if you think and live like He says we are to live. Why? Jesus is telling us how to live like children of our Heavenly Father.

Read, take to heart, the words of Jesus, the image of the invisible God.

Lord Jesus, IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, quicken us to do more than read Your words. Imprint them on our hearts and minds so we live like children of Your Father.

Would you like to learn more about Jesus being the image of the invisible God? Watch this video clip where Debbie teaches about how Jesus said He and the Father are one. 

Have you ever been with a person whose convictions changed with the culture? Perhaps they started their Christian walk by believing in Jesus and who He said He was, Lord and Savior. But along the way and through the years they drifted. Christ’s teachings weren’t fresh in their minds. Social friends influenced their thinking. Instead of Jesus being Lord, He became one of many teachers who pointed the way to heaven. Instead of the Bible being the authoritative word of God, it became an outdated book filled with symbolism and not relevant to today’s culture.

The truth is, God, not the culture, is reliable. The Bible is the revelation of His character, which is unchanging as Hebrews 13:8 clearly affirms. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

What difference does it make for you that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

It means that what the Lord called holy yesterday is holy today and will be holy tomorrow. What He called sin yesterday is sin today and is sin tomorrow. And most important, the grace God extended yesterday is the grace He extends today and extends tomorrow.

It means that when cultural debates about moral issues arise, we don’t have to be confused or compromise. We speak the truth in love and stand on the solid foundation of the Word of God, Jesus, and the Bible. We follow and serve an unchanging, immutable God.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, IMMUTABLE, unchanging Lord God!

Our mission at Hill Country Ministries is to spread the Word and love of Jesus. We want others to know Christ and receive the gift of eternal life. Help us by sharing 365 Days of Praise using the social media icons, below, or by forwarding to a friend through email. You can also help by subscribing to Debbie’s podcast and YouTube channel. Having more subscribers allows us to reach more listeners and viewers.

King David was deceived. He thought his sin of adultery and murder was hidden; no one would find out about it. But sin isn’t a kind bedfellow. Psalm 32:3-4 records how it affected David. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” Notice that David said, “Your hand.” He knew God knew and God’s hand was heavy on him.

But what happened when David acknowledged his sin and confessed it to the Lord? We find the answer in Psalm 32:5. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.’”

What advice does David give us in Psalm 32:6? “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found.” David discovered that instead of attempting to hide his sin and himself from God, it was better to make God His hiding place. “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance,” Psalm 32:7.

There may be times when we, like David, think we can hide our sin from God. But the truth is, we can’t. He sees us and even knows our thoughts. Yet even while we are in our sin, He invites us to a place of forgiveness – Himself. Today we can choose to stop trying to hide our sin. We can turn to God and humbly repent of our sin and confess, “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble.” We can experience “songs of deliverance.”

Lord, how sweet to know You as our HIDING PLACE who preserves us from trouble and surrounds us with songs of deliverance. Thank You. We praise You.

Repentance is the way to come clean with God and enter into His forgiveness. To learn more about repentance, watch Debbie’s teaching on it HERE.

“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. She needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help that is needed when we’re at our wit’s end and we don’t know how much more we can take.

And so, God wants us to know that He is our help. Psalm 46:1 assures us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Could you use some help from God today? Perhaps you need wisdom about a decision. James 1:5 says ask God for it. He is your help.

Could you use something “good” in your life? If so, James 1:17 reminds us that every “good” thing is from above. God is your help.

Are you anxious and long for peace? God is your help. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that you can pray and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

You may be in a situation where you are despairing. Psalm 43:5 tells us once again that God is our help. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”

Yes, God is our help. Unlike my friend who had to wait for me to arrive in order to help her, we can experience the Lord’s present help no matter our situation. We need only call on Him. Will you call on Him today?

Lord, we praise You, our present HELP and help of our countenance.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Would you like to learn how to pray more purposefully and live more passionately for Christ? Grab a copy of Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. 

Hi Moms,

I’m super excited you’re here – feeding your child’s soul with Biblical truth they will carry through life!

Here is “M” from Kidz Time 1.

Have fun!  Love, Debbie

Kidz Time 1 Book

“M” Video  & Printable Activity                       

Slide Show          

Memory  Verse  Cards    

Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect“? Or has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect except Jesus. However, and this is big, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather they’re signals for areas where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change.

For instance, during the Sermon on the Mount after Jesus’ teachings on anger, lust, enemies, retaliation and more, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh everyone, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect,” Matthew 5:48.

Rather than Jesus letting us off the hook, He sees the potential for us to be transformed into His likeness through the provision of His Holy Spirit.

It requires we be intentional about knowing Christ’s teachings, being filled with His Spirit and power, and confessing and repenting when we sin. So while it is true that nobody is perfect, it is not an excuse. The believer’s hope and joy is knowing we are being perfected and will one day be perfect as our Lord is perfect.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us into Your image as we walk by the Holy Spirit.  

Would you like to learn more about walking by the Holy Spirit? Listen to these free podcast teachings: “Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.”