365 Days of Praise

Have you ever been built up or torn down by someone’s words? No doubt, people’s words have an impact on our lives. So do Christ’s words. 

In Isaiah 49:2, the words of the “Servant of the Lord,” who is understood to be Jesus, are compared to a sharp sword. “He has made My mouth like a sharp sword,…;”

The imagery of Jesus’ words being like a sharp sword is also found in other places in the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 

Jesus’ Words are like a sharp sword in that they cut straight to the heart, to our thoughts and intentions.

Jesus’ Word is also a sharp sword in the believer’s defense against sin and the enemy (Psalm 119:11, Ephesians 6:10-17). 

As believers, do we use the power and authority of God’s Word to transform us? Do we delight in His Word? (Psalm 1:1-3)? Are we doers of His Word (James 1:23-25)?  Christ, His Word, a sharp sword, is vital to our lives. 

Lord, I praise You, a SHARP SWORD. Transform me according to Your living and active Word. 

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Have you ever been separated from someone and you desperately wanted to be with them? Whether the separation was due to death, divorce, disease, or distance, the pain of not being able to be with a loved one can be devastating. 

Jesus understands such depth of emotion. He loves us and created us to live in union with Him. Because of His Indescribable love for us, He left heaven’s glory and came to earth to save us. 

Yes, Jesus, separated from sinners as Hebrews 7:26 describes, crossed the chasm between heaven’s glory and earth. He stretched out His hands on a cross to die so that we might be saved and be reunited to Him and the Father.  “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.”

Jesus, separated from sinners, took on human flesh and lived among sinners; taking our sin upon Himself. Only when we ponder the heights of holiness that Jesus left to secure our salvation are we able to begin to grasp the depth of His love. 

How well are we loving Jesus in return? How intentionally are we abstaining from sin? How faithfully are we sharing with others who Jesus is and how they can also be reunited to Him? 

Lord Jesus, SEPARATED FROM SINNERS, thank You for coming to earth to save me and reunite me to Yourself and the Father. May I cling tightly to You with a heart overflowing in gratitude. 

Find spiritual rest and renewal in God’s presence today by spending time in His Word. Use one of our free online Bible studies to guide you in your study.

Sides. Children learn the concept of “sides” at a young age. They’re on one side or the other of a field depending on whose team they are on.  

As children grow older they learn about historical battles and those who fought on each side. 

Hopefully, as children become teens and then adults they become more aware of another set of sides: God’s and the devil’s.  Yes, the Bible explains that there are spiritual sides that battle over our souls. 

The war between God and the devil was decided long ago with God decidedly the victor. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave sealed the outcome of the war over man’s soul.

Isaiah 49:2 describes Jesus’ role in the battle over man’s soul calling Him a Select Arrow. “He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.” 

Yes, Jesus was sent from God’s heavenly quiver to destroy the works of the devil and save our soul. Aren’t you thankful for Christ, the Select Arrow of God and for being on God the Father’s side? 

Lord Jesus, God’s SELECT ARROW, thank You for coming to earth to destroy the works of the devil. Thank You for winning the battle over my soul.  I love and praise You!

Want to learn more about living a victorious Christian life? Watch Debbie’s teaching on Acts 28 : The 7 Characteristics of People Who Are More than Conquerors. 

Did you ever play Marco Polo in the swimming pool? I have fond memories of playing it with my sister, Vicki. We’d take turns closing our eyes and calling out, “Marco.” The other one would respond, “Polo,” then swim away to avoid getting tagged.

Some of us may think of Jesus as one who is blindly searching for us when we call out to Him. That is far from the case. Jesus has His eyes on us and is waiting for us to call on Him. 

Jesus is the seeker of the lost as He explains in Luke 19:10,  “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

What does the Bible mean when it refers to people as being “lost”?

The Greek word for “lost” is apollymi. The context of this verse is that people have strayed from Jesus. They are “lost” in sin. Jesus came to earth to “reclaim people from wickedness,” like a shepherd might reclaim his sheep from a wolf. 

Jesus came to earth to seek and to save the Father’s children who are bound in sin and Satan’s snare.  

Jesus loves you. He sees your unsaved family and friends. He loves them and is seeking the unsaved to come to Him and be saved. 

Lord Jesus, SEEKER OF THE LOST, thank You for seeking and saving me. Thank You for continuing to seek my unsaved family members and friends.

The Gospel of John is full of examples of Jesus seeking and saving the lost. It also recounts the death and resurrection of Jesus, which made a way for all to come to Him for salvation. Access Debbie’s free online Bible study of John along with her other online Bible studies HERE.

We all know what we mean when we say, “I don’t have it in me…” then we complete the thought. “I don’t have it in me to change.” “I don’t have it in me to keep working this hard.”

It’s important to recognize if we do or don’t have something in us. A top concern should be if we have Christ in us. We either do or we don’t. Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that every person should test themselves to see if they do. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test.” 

Paul makes a most important point. Attending church, enjoying nature, or being a nice person doesn’t make a person a Christian. A Christian is someone who has Christ “in” them. As a result, they bear the evidence of Him in their lives. 

How do we get Christ in us? We receive Christ through His Holy Spirit into our spirit; as soil receives a seed and then bears the fruit of that seed. 

Jesus is first referred to with the imagery of “seed” in Genesis 3:15 when God announced that Satan would be defeated by “the Seed of the woman,” a reference to Christ being born of a virgin.  

As soil produces the fruit of the seed that is planted in its soil, Christians produce the fruit of Christ in their hearts. Is Christ in you?

Lord Jesus, SEED OF SALVATION, thank You for planting Your Holy Spirit in me. I love and adore You. Increasingly bear the fruit of Your Spirit in my life so that others see and believe in You.

Do you have a friend or family member you would like to introduce to Jesus? Share this link with them: “Meet Jesus…Experience His Grace.”

I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? Do you ever tire of your impatience, bad habit, or perhaps careless words? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our sin nature. As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says, “For the  flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.” So we have this little, um, big war going on inside of us.

Here’s the wonderful news recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God in His grace has chosen to sanctify us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God has done and will continue to do.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to lift your voice in praise to God?

Heavenly Father, SANCTIFIER, thank You for setting me apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify me completely and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am so ready!

The Apostle Peter, who contended with his sin nature, boldly encourages us that we have everything we need for life and godliness in 2 Peter 1:1-4. To listen to Debbie’s teaching on the subject, click HERE.

Would you have ever believed some of the things going on in our country? It can make your head spin. The changes are happening so fast that people who don’t read or watch the news are going to be shocked one day to learn that their freedoms have been taken away and that they are mandated to do things against their will. Am I advocating that we read or watch the news all day? Not at all. But I can speak to the importance of being informed. I highly recommend having your Bible open and studying (not skimming) what God wants us to know about the days in which we live and about the days that are coming.

In Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus said, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”

It is clear that God spoke through prophets. They warned of future events. Although your head may be spinning at the ever-changing society in which we live, what a blessing to know that Jesus will not change. As Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Yes, our nation is changing. The world is changing. But Jesus will always be the same holy, loving, grace-filled God that He’s always been. If we ever wonder with whom to align ourselves, it is Christ.

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, I love You and thank You that You are the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.

Want to learn more about discerning the times in which we live? Purchase a copy of Debbie’s Bible study, End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do HERE. You can also access free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE. 

Has anyone ever sacrificed something for you? Have they sacrificed sleep so you could rest? Have they sacrificed advancing so you could succeed? Have they sacrificed their plans so you could pursue yours? Sometimes we sacrifice, but do so begrudgingly.

Ephesians 5:2 tells us Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for us. “…walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Not only did Jesus willingly sacrifice His life for us, but He was also the only perfect and completely acceptable sacrifice to God for our sins. Under the law of Moses, high priests were appointed to offer sacrifices in the temple day after day for their own sins and the sins of the people. However, Jesus provided a better way. He became both the perfect Priest and the perfect Sacrifice. 

Jesus is holy, blameless, pure, and set apart. Unlike the earthly priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day for His own sins and our sins. He sacrificed for our sins once for all when He offered Himself willingly on the cross (Hebrews 7:24-28). When He did, He thought of us, not Himself. He did what we could never do for ourselves. 

Lord Jesus, thank You for willingly giving up Your glory, Your comfort, and Your life for me; for being a SACRIFICE to God on my behalf so that I can be reconciled to You. Help me sacrificially fulfill Your commission and tell others about You. 

Discover the joy of praying more purposefully and living passionately for Christ as He equips you to do His work on earth. Get a copy of Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion HERE. The book can be used as a personal study or a 10-week group study.

I’m tired! I’m tired of work. I’m tired of the tension in my life. I’m tired of struggling. I’m tired of taking care of…. How would you finish the sentence? God understands. He gets it.

The Bible makes a point that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. One of the Ten Commandments is to keep the Sabbath Day as a holy day and to not work on it. 

Jesus’ work of gaining our salvation on the cross resulted in our not working for salvation but rather resting in what Christ accomplished on the cross.

God cares about you being weary. We will one day enter God’s ultimate provision of His presence—an eternal Sabbath rest. Until then, we can thank God that life won’t always be so hard. We can thank Jesus for paving the way for our future rest. And, we can prayerfully ponder and walk daily in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Yes, as promised, “…there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9-10). 

Lord, thank You for the SABBATH REST I have in You for eternity. Thank You that I can come to You every day and learn from You and find rest for my soul.  

Do you commute to work and want to listen to some encouraging teachings by Debbie while you drive? Let her podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify help you set your mind on Christ before you start your day!

Here in the United States, presidential election seasons are often marked by tension and divisive rhetoric among politicians, citizens, and the mainstream media. There’s often a sense of uncertainty as voters anticipate the changes that will come with the next elected president. If you live in another country, you can probably relate to the feelings of insecurity that may arise from a change in leadership. However, we must remember not to place our trust, confidence, or hope in earthly kings or presidents. Instead, we should look to Jesus, the supreme ruler and authority over all the kings of the earth.

Revelation 1:5 says, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” This verse reminds us that Jesus is the ruler over all earthly authority. Instead of placing our trust in mere humans, we can look heavenward in confidence to the King of kings who reigns with justice and mercy. 

While Jesus is presently sovereign and ruling over all earthly authority, we will one day see Him reigning visibly over the earth. The Bible says that the current Heaven and earth will one day be replaced with a new Heaven and earth. God will dwell with His people during that time and we will see the glorious King of kings ruling over all (Revelation 21:1-4).

Lord Jesus Christ, what a wonderful blessing to know that this world is not spinning out of control. You are the enthroned, RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. 

Would you like more grace and peace in your life? Peace with God? Peace with others? Watch Debbie’s teaching on 1 Peter 1 HERE or listen to it HERE.