Did you ever watch the TV show, “Mr. Ed” about a talking horse? While it was a fun show to watch, we all know horses can’t talk. However, there is an incident in the Bible in Numbers 22 when God used a donkey to get through to a man who was going in a direction God had forbidden. Yes, a man named Balaam was riding his donkey when suddenly the donkey stopped and refused to budge. What the donkey saw that the man didn’t see was an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword blocking the path. It begs us to consider if we are like the man, ignoring God’s warnings, or like the donkey, paying attention. If we want to be smarter than a donkey, or at least as smart and our eyes open to God’s will, it’s important for us to stay close to God. One way we do that is through prayer. Deepen your prayer life. Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion will help you.

Listen Are We Smarter Than a Donkey?

Have you ever looked for “life” in someone or something apart from Jesus? Or, perhaps in your younger years you were “the life of the party.” Maybe in your adult years you bought into the idea that the right job, house, car, or person would bring you what was important in life. But perhaps later you realized that things and people can disappoint and fall short of our expectations. Our hearts will never be happy until we make the Lord our life not just in words but in reality.

Jesus said in John 14:6, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the LIFE; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”  

We find LIFE in Jesus not only for eternal salvation but for daily salvation. Ask Him to live His LIFE through you today.

Lord, You are the way, the truth, and the LIFE!  Fill us with Your LIFE. 

David wanted us to know. He used his voice. He was crying out which means he did more than shoot a quickie silent arrow prayer to God. This saint was serious. He was cryING to the Lord. What did David know that led him to exercise his faith in such a serious and intentional manner? Psalm 3:3 tells us.
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God is ALL KNOWING as Psalm 139:4 explains. “Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you KNOW it all.”  He knows our thoughts, weaknesses, and heart better than we do. Romans 8:26,27. He knows our future. Acts 11:27,28. He knows what others are thinking, doing, and planning. He knows Satan’s schemes. There is no one to whom we can go who is more knowledgeable, loving, caring, wise, and invested in our best. When we begin our day bowed before Him, confessing our love, proclaiming His majesty, and thanking Him for His grace, His ears are tuned to our confessions, struggles, and needs. Our confidence to enter into our day, our inner peace, and joy aren’t in our circumstances and things beyond our control, but rather are in our loving Father in whom we have placed our trust. Whatever lies before us, we know our Father loves us, will be there for us, walk with us, and guide us. The wise believer acknowledges God not only in routine blessings before meals, but also acknowledges God in every area of their life. In other words, they are joined to Christ at the spiritual “hip.” They are united spirit to His Spirit from the time they open their eyes in the morning until they close them at night. Does that describe you?

Heavenly Father, You are the ALL KNOWING, OMNISCIENT Lord who loves us so much. Waken us to the gift of Your presence Who is present to guide us through every moment of the day. May we live joyfully because we are aware of Your presence. 

I struggled with today’s devotional because first I went in one direction and then another. There are so many important points!  The key verse is 1 Timothy 6:15 and the Lord’s attribute is King of Kings. It’s a rich verse. “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.”  The verse is straightforward. It’s beautiful to read. The context, though, goes contrary to our human bent. Would you share your thoughts as to why the glorious description of Jesus as King of Kings who dwells in unapproachable light is in the context of  1 Timothy 6: 7-19? Warning: if you read it closely, you may get a holt jolt. 

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  

But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—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.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

To which of the King of King’s instruction is He calling you? That you keep His commandment without stain? To repent of the love of money? To fix your hope on God rather than the uncertainty of riches? To be rich in good works? To flee from temptation?  What a blessing that our King sets before us eternal life and tells us to take hold of it. Will we? In which regard?

KING OF KINGS, give us a holy jolt to obey You.

One Sunday during the sermon, my pastor referred to a missing verse – Mark 15:28  – that some Bible versions don’t include. As he talked about the missing verse, I began thinking about how many people have a Bible but it is missing from their daily lives. In other words, they have a Bible but don’t read it every day. If you’re not in the habit of reading your Bible every day or you don’t really know what the Bible says, I’d like to encourage you to begin including Bible verses in your daily routine. It can be as easy as signing up for my daily devotional, “365 Days of Praise. ” I’ll send you a free, 60 second devotional so you will have a Bible verse included in each day of your year. Visit me at debbietaylorwilliams.com and include, rather than exclude, Bible verses from your life. 

Listen The Missing Verse in Your Bible

The wise men worshipped Jesus. The Jews and Romans whipped Jesus.

The wise men gave Jesus gifts. The Jews and Romans gave Jesus the cross.

The wise men celebrated Jesus’s birth. The Jews and Romans celebrated Jesus’s death.

Not all kings are recognized as kings. Such was the case with the Jesus when He walked on earth. Such is still the case with those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. But one day all people will bow before the KING OF THE JEWS.

Where is He who has been born KING of the JEWS?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:2

Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS and our King, we bow before You in praise and worship You. Reign in our lives in such a way that others see Your influence in us.