365 Days of Praise

Do you worry about where our nation is headed? Although evil may temporarily prevail, the Bible tells us the end of the story, and it’s a good ending. God prevails. Colossians 2:10 tells us Christ is not only the head of a believer and head over the church, He is head over all rule and authority. “…in Him [Christ] you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” Isn’t that exciting? 

One day every knee will bow before Him. Examples of people humbling themselves before the Lord who is the head over all rule and authority are found throughout the Bible. Just such a case is King Nebuchadnezzar, who prided himself in his power. Read his testimony after God humbled him. 

“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34). 

Jesus is head over all rule and authority. Do you acknowledge Him as such and therefore have an uplifted countenance knowing the end of the Bible? Is there someone you can encourage with the reminder that in spite of the moral decline and turning away from God, that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord? 

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY! Use me to speak of my confidence in You and Your reign. 

We were so happy to hear from one of our 365 Days of Praise subscribers recently who commented, “Thank you Debbie for these daily reminders. I know they are a blessing to all who receive them.” We’re always grateful for the opportunity to encourage others through God’s Word and to hear how these devotionals are making a difference.

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Have you ever worked hard for what you thought was for Christ but you experienced little joy? As a matter of fact, you felt agitated as you worked? If and when that happens, it helps to step back and consider if what we’re doing is an assignment from Christ and if we’re doing it in His power. Or, are we doing something we decided was a good idea and we’re pushing through in our own strength. 

Why is this important? Just as Christ is the head of every man (1 Corinthians 11:3), He is also Head of the church, His body, which He metaphorically describes in 1 Corinthians 12 as some members being the eye and some the feet. 

Writing to the church in Colossians 1:18, Paul states Christ is “head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” 

When we do the work Christ assigns us it may be challenging and difficult, but we will also experience Christ’s joy (Matthew 25:23). How joyful are you in your service to the Lord? 

Lord Jesus, I praise You, HEAD OF THE CHURCH and life of the body of believers. May my words and actions be an extension of Your will, strength, and power. 

Would you like to better be able to discern the voice of the Lord to ensure that you’re walking in His will? Listen to Debbie’s teaching, “How to Discern the Voice of God,” on Podbean or YouTube.

Are you careful to read the words of the Bible in the context of the verse and chapter? Why is that important? If we take words out of context, the message can come across much differently than intended.

An example is in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where the apostle Paul tells believers to imitate him. If we stop short of the rest of the verse, Paul might come across as arrogant. However, Paul goes on to say, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am imitating Christ.”

Why should we imitate Christ? Paul answers that question in verse 3, explaining, “I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man.”

Speaking metaphorically, Paul says Christ is our “head.” As a body without a head is dead, so we are dead apart from Christ. He is our life. Another important emphasis of Christ being our head is that just as a head sits at the top of our body, over our body, Christ as our head is over us; supreme, master, Lord.

If we want to be a faithful imitator of Christ, our Head, we must learn and submit to Him and His ways. We must pray and follow His lead. Can we say as Paul, that we are imitators of Christ, our Head? If not, let’s begin today.

Lord Jesus, HEAD OF EVERY MAN, convict me where I need to submit to Your headship. Fill me with Your Spirit so I bring glory to You.

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Did you know that God distinguishes between when we unintentionally sin and when we intentionally sin? Yes, He notices. In Leviticus 4:1-3 the Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.”

In these verses we see several important points. First, the Lord has spoken regarding sin. Sin, intentional or unintentional, is doing what the Lord has commanded us not to do. Second, the person who sins is guilty before the Lord. Third, the penalty for a guilty sentence is death. Fourth, in God’s mercy, rather than the death sentence being carried out on the sinner, a bull took the guilty person’s sentence of death. This Old Testament sacrificial system pointed toward the day in which Christ would die on the cross as a once for all guilt offering for our sin. 

Isaiah 53:10 explains God’s love which is beyond our comprehension. “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him [Jesus], putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering…” The “if He would” was answered when Christ laid down His life so that we might be sin-free, guilt-free. What a wonderful Lord. 

Heavenly Father and Jesus, I praise You for paying my sin debt by Jesus becoming a GUILT OFFERING in my place. Your love is beyond my comprehension. 

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Have you ever felt uncertain about what to do? I have. Probably one of the most challenging times was when I was 29 years old and received a letter from M.D. Anderson saying I had stage 1a ovarian cancer. The oncologist I was seeing agreed that it would be wise for me to get a second opinion. When I did, I was told I did not have cancer. In spite of the second opinion, my oncologist’s advice was to follow M.D. Anderson’s diagnosis and have a hysterectomy.

We had one child, but wanted more. If we followed M.D. Anderson’s advice, I’d immediately have a hysterectomy. My husband and I didn’t know what to do. We turned to the Lord.

Isaiah 42:16 says, “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them.” God is our guide to eternal life, but He’s also our guide for daily life.

When we pray, which is what Keith and I did along with many family and friends who prayed for us, God guided us and we felt peace about what to do. Instead of immediately having a hysterectomy, we were blessed by being able to quickly conceive and have our daughter, Lauren; then followed up with the hysterectomy. 

Difficult, stressful, tearful times occur, but in each and every one of those times, we can be assured we are not alone. Our Heavenly, triune God—the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit—is present to guide us. Look to Him. Follow His will. 

Thank You, Lord, for being our ever-present GUIDE. I love You and thank You for caring for me and for guiding me. 

God cares about you and what’s going on in your life. Would you like to learn more about giving your worries over to Him? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 5 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or, better, to watch over your soul—your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” Think about Peter’s description of our Lord: Guardian of your soul. 

When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” What a blessing for us to have God as the overseer of our souls. 

God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our souls, but it is our responsibility to follow what He tells us to in the Bible and at the Holy Spirit’s prompting. 

Begin each day by lifting up your soul to the Lord, praying as the psalmist, “Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8). Then, ask the Holy Spirit to fill your soul. Read His Word, the Bible, that will guard your soul. Journal His Word. Pay attention to and follow how the Guardian of your Soul leads you. 

Lord, I praise You, GUARDIAN OF OUR SOULS. Help me be increasingly sensitive to Your Word and voice.

One of our key verses today is 1 Peter 2:25. To watch Debbie’s teaching on all of 1 Peter 2, click HERE. You can also check out her 1 Peter Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts. You can access them by going to “Bible Studies” in the main menu or by clicking HERE.

Many people do not know what it means to be loved. But we do. We are the recipients of God’s and Jesus’ great lovingkindness toward us. Psalm 145:8 clearly states their great love, “The LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.” 

Not only does God extend His lovingkindness to us, but He is great in lovingkindness. This means He possesses and bestows an abundant, overflowing measure of grace, compassion, mercy, kindness, goodness, and love upon us. There’s nothing we have done or can do to earn His lovingkindness. It’s God’s nature, as 1 John 4:8 tells us—“God is love.”

Do you need to be reminded of God’s lovingkindness today? If so, say these words out loud and personalize them:

“God is slow to anger with me. God is great in lovingkindness toward me. God the Father has proved His love for me by sending Jesus to earth to pay for my sins. Jesus has proved His great love for me by dying on the cross.” 

God is slow to anger. He is great in lovingkindness. Praise Him, serve Him, and tell others!

Lord, I rejoice in and am humbled by how You are GREAT IN LOVINGKINDNESS! 

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Are you hurting, struggling, or stressed? If so, are you crying out to God? David models that rather than continuing in our hurt, struggle, or stress, we should cry to Him. Why should we? Because God is a great God. He can do wondrous, matchless things. As David points out in his prayer, “You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God” (Psalm 86:10).

David’s words are not mindlessly spoken. Rather, they are heartfelt and spoken in the midst of his afflictions and needs. When David says, “You are great and do wondrous deeds,” he is professing his trust in God’s greatness. He is looking at the heavens and saying, “You alone are God. I know nothing is too difficult for You. I know You can help, so do!” 

Today, we can re-affirm our faith in God’s greatness. We can pray the words David prayed. We can be assured our great God hears us. We can walk out our faith in God’s greatness and ability to do wondrous deeds with a hopeful heart.  

Heavenly Father, I profess with David, “You alone are GREAT and do wondrous deeds. You alone are God.” Thank You for hearing my prayers and for doing wondrous deeds beyond my imagination. 

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!

Have you ever experienced a time when someone was gracious toward you? Even more wonderful is the fact the Lord is gracious, as evidenced throughout the Bible.

One such instance is found in Exodus 32. You may recall that God, in His grace, used Moses to lead the enslaved Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. After their freedom, God graciously wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone for Moses to give to the nation and by which they were to live. But when Moses came down from the mountain, he found the people indulging in revelry, dancing around a golden calf and worshiping it. God’s anger burned, understandably, and Moses was so furious that he threw the tablets to the ground, causing them to shatter. Fast forward. The people repented and God called Moses to return to Him on the mountaintop and to bring two more tablets of stone. Exodus 34:6 states, “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.’”

Although the Israelites had turned away from God and worshiped idols, the Lord was gracious.

Just as God was gracious to the Israelites, He is gracious to us. When we sin, we can turn to Him, repent of our sins, and receive His forgiveness. Is there anything for which you need to repent today? If so, do it now. God is waiting to graciously forgive you. 

Lord, thank You for being GRACIOUS toward me, for not holding my sins against me, but instead, for giving me new days and new opportunities. I am thankful beyond words for Your grace. 

Would you like to experience more of God’s lavish grace? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.

Picture this. A mom is walking across the street with her child. Suddenly, a truck approaches at a high speed and swerves out of control toward them. Instinctively, the mom jumps in front of her child in order to take the brunt of the impact. Did anyone tell her to do that? No. She did it to save her child’s life because she loves her child. If there had been time for her to think about it, she would have done the same thing. Why? A mom lays down her life for her child. 

Jesus, who identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11, laid down His life for us. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” 

Why would Jesus take the blow of death for us? Something worse than an out-of-control truck barrels toward people. 

The devil, with out-of-control malice and evil intentions, aims to kill us—body, soul, and spirit. Jesus stepped between the devil and us, saving our lives from his evil intentions that would have robbed us of heaven’s glory.  

What should be our response? Worship. Thanksgiving. Returning His love by serving His purposes. 

Jesus, You are the GOOD SHEPHERD who laid down Your life for me. I love You, give You eternal praise, and offer myself to serve You and Your purposes.

Would you like to learn more about Jesus being the Good Shepherd? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 10 by clicking HERE or listen to it HERE.