365 Days of Praise

Have you ever felt guilty? I have and It’s a horrible feeling. What do you do with guilt? You can’t hide it, shake it, or bury it. It clings to you like a cat with nails dug in, determined to not turn loose. 

However, there is One who never experienced guilt…until He took ours upon Himself. Hebrews 7:26 says about Jesus, “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.” 

Innocent. The description of Jesus in Hebrews 7:26 hangs in the mind. It reminds me of an infant nestled in their mother’s arms or a toddler giggling; one unstained by the world. The word for innocent, akakos, which describes Jesus in Hebrews 7:26 means without guile or fraud, harmless; free from guilt.

Jesus was the opposite of we who have known the right thing to do, yet not done it. We have opened Pandora’s box. We have crossed the line. We have had thoughts and said words we wish we could take back. 

Have you ever tried to imagine what it was like for Jesus to be innocent and then experience your guilt; to feel dirty? That’s what Jesus did for us. Never question His love… “while we were yet sinners, He died for us” (Romans 5:8).  

Instead of languishing in guilt over sin, Psalm 32:5 shows us the way to get rid of any cat clinging guilt: acknowledge and confess our sin. 

Lord Jesus, INNOCENT Savior, thank You that when I acknowledge my sins to You and confess them, You forgive the guilt of my sin. I love and praise You. 

Jesus demonstrated the greatest love when He died on the cross for our sins, bearing our guilt and shame. To learn more about His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, watch Debbie’s teaching on John 19 HERE.

Can you imagine being told that a distant relative passed away and left you all his money? “That’s nice of Uncle Fred,” you say, thinking of his modest clothing and car. Then, the executor of the estate continues, “Congratulations. You’re a billionaire.” Stunned, you realize that you never knew how much Uncle Fred possessed. 

Believers may be like that in relation to our inheritance in Christ. If so, consider how David recognized the Lord as his inheritance in Psalm 16:5, “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.” 

David is mindful of the ways the Lord is his inheritance and praises Him for what he has inherited in the Lord: His goodness (v. 2), His support (v. 5), His counsel and instruction (v. 7), His steadying presence (v. 8), eternal security (vv. 9-10), and resurrection to heaven’s joy (vv. 10-11). 

Do we recognize the Lord as our inheritance and praise Him? If not, we can begin today because when Christ died, we were granted an inheritance in Him. First Peter 1:3-4 states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” 

The Lord Jesus, the resurrection from the dead, heaven, the right to the Tree of Life, and so much more is our inheritance. Are your feet dancing and hands praising the Lord? 

Lord, You are my INHERITANCE. I love, worship, and rejoice in you! Thank You! Thank you! 

Want to learn more about the imperishable inheritance believers have in Christ? Watch this video clip of Debbie’s teaching on the subject.

Do you ever feel like no one understands you – truly understands you? 

Or perhaps you have thought, “I can’t understand how you could…” in regard to another person’s actions or words? 

No doubt, as much as we may love or know someone, we can never get inside another person’s head. Nor can they totally understand us. But God can. 

Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.” 

The word, infinite, in this passage means innumerable. In other words, the Lord’s understanding of us and everything in the world in time and space is limitless. It is endless and impossible to measure. And the most amazing thing is He loves us. 

How can we not run to Him in love and gratitude? Why would we not talk to Him about everything on our heart and mind, knowing He understands us and our situation? Why would we not quietly wait and listen for God’s instructions and guidance? (By the way, when you talk things over with God, it helps to have your Bible so when He stirs your heart you can look up the verses He brings to mind.) It also helps to have pen and journal so you can write down how He instructs you. 

When no one understands, remember that God does and He loves you. Run to Him. Pray to Him. Listen to Him. Obey Him.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, You have INFINITE UNDERSTANDING. Thank You for loving me and guiding me.

Would you like an organized way to record what God is speaking to you? Grab a copy of Prayers of My Heart prayer journal to write down what God places on your heart.

Have you ever been called a “gift” because of who you are and what you give to others? 

Second Corinthians 9:15 describes Jesus as a gift. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” 

Why would Paul refer to Jesus as an indescribable gift? Jesus is a gift because He gives us salvation as Ephesians 2:8 explains. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

Why would Paul use the word indescribable in reference to Christ? Because there are no human words that can portray the awfulness of hell from which He rescued us nor the heights and delights of heaven to which He delivered us. Not until heaven will we fully grasp the gift of salvation. 

In the meantime, God’s gift of Christ is already being unwrapped day by day as He extends grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit to us to be our guide, helper, and comforter. 

As we read and meditate on each of God the Father’s, Son’s, and Spirit’s attributes, we more fully appreciate the indescribable gift we have in Christ and our salvation. 

Who do you know who could use this indescribable gift? Will you tell them all you have, love, and appreciate about the Lord Jesus? It is when they see in you and hear you speak of Him and the gift He is to you that they will yearn to also have the indescribable gift. 

Thank You, Heavenly Father and Jesus, God’s INDESCRIBABLE GIFT. Help me to be a messenger of Your gift to others. 

Do you know someone in your life who needs to hear about God’s indescribable gift of Jesus? Send them this link: “Meet Jesus…Experience His Grace.”

Happy Memorial Day! Today, we remember with deep gratitude those who gave their lives in service to our country, as well as their families.

“He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the Impregnable Rock” (Isaiah 33:16).

Do you need a refuge, a place you can go that is higher than yourself, a place where you can scale the heights and look at life from a different, more eternal perspective? We all do. The daily grind can become just that—a grind. The thrill of the chase ends. The romance changes. The kids grow up. The job ends. The money runs out. The other side wins. Sin gets the best of us. What then?

The one who loves and follows Christ finds refuge in the Impregnable Rock. In Christ, we scale beyond our current circumstances and see life with an eternal perspective. In Christ, we have a place of solidity on which to stand.

Can someone who is not a follower of Christ understand our refuge in the Impregnable Rock? Probably not. But maybe if we show them the way, they will discover Him for themselves.

Lord, You are the IMPREGNABLE ROCK, my spiritual refuge. Thank You, my Lord and God!

Would you like to grow in standing firm in your faith and finding refuge in God, your Impregnable Rock, in these challenging times in which we live? Check out Debbie’s Bible study on Jude, Contend Earnestly for the Faith, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

Have you ever let something spoil in the refrigerator? You meant to eat it, but didn’t. Later, you discovered the leftovers, opened the lid, and whew – it stunk! It had perished. It was ruined. 

Not so with God, His seed, and word. He is imperishable as 1 Peter 1:23 points out, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” 

The Greek word for imperishable in reference to God is aphthartos and means uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay.  

What a contrast between God’s seed that is imperishable and Adam’s seed that is corrupted and perishable. 

Peter is not the only apostle who wrote about the imperishable nature of God and of believers inheriting His nature. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul wrote, “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable;” continuing in verse 53, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The great news is that the imperishable uncorrupted Christ is in believers. We’re indwelt by the imperishable Jesus through the living and enduring word of God. Hallelujah! 

Lord Jesus, I worship You, the IMPERISHABLE One. Thank You for making it possible for me to be born of Your imperishable, uncorrupted seed. I love and praise You! 

Believers will inherit Christ’s imperishable nature, but we can also live by His divine nature while we’re here on this earth. Want to learn how? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by going HERE.

Have you ever wondered if the word “judgment” is used in reference to believers? First Peter 1:17 as well as other Scriptures answer that question. “If you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.” 

Although we are not saved by works, God judges how believers act; as Peter points out in 1 Peter. We might consider if: 

• We fervently love one another from the heart, 1:22. 
• We put aside deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, 2:1. 
• We proclaim the excellencies of Christ, 2:9. 
• We keep our behavior excellent, 2:12. 
• We follow in Christ’s steps, 2:21. 
• We’re harmonious, sympathetic, kind, humble; not returning evil or insults, but give blessings instead, 3:8-9. 
• We don’t speak evil and lies, 3:10. 
• We turn from evil and do good; seeking peace, 3:11. 
• We keep a good conscience, 3:16. 
• We live for the will of God, 4:2. 
• We live in the Spirit according to the will of God, 4:6. 
• We’re hospitable to one another without complaint, 4:9. 
• We use the gift God’s given us to serve one another, 4:10. 
• We cast our anxiety on God, knowing He cares for us, 5:7. 
• We resist the devil, firm in our faith, 5:9.

Yes, God judges our actions and attitudes. Which of the above do we need to confess that we have failed to do? Which do we need to pray for the Lord to empower us to do?

Lord, thank You for being an IMPARTIAL JUDGE who calls and empowers me to walk in newness of life. 

Would you like to do a more in-depth study of 1 Peter? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be accessed HERE. 

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, I 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 YouTube channel and her podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. Having more subscribers allows us to reach more listeners and viewers.

“If only I could exercise and eat right….” or “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.” 

IMMORTAL Lord Jesus, I praise you and thank You for giving me immortality. Use me 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.