Beyond Ourselves
I Did it Again: Failed
I did it again: failed. I failed to pay attention to my thoughts. I failed to check them against God’s Word. I failed to return Jesus’s love by loving Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I failed to honor Him with my lips. Have you ever been there, done that? What happens when a Christian sins? Is God done with us? No. First Chronicles 16:34 and 1 Peter 1:25 tell us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” and “His Word endures forever.” Every day God loves us. Every day, we can turn to His Word, the truth, and learn how to walk by it. If you, like me, did it again and failed God in some way recently, look to Him. He loves us and continually gives us the opportunity to repent and receive His grace.
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for Your enduring love and Word. Help us live it out in a reciprocal way with You and others.
If You’re Looking for Supreme
When we go to the beginning, to Genesis 1:1, the first way the ONE we worship is identified, is as God. “In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth.” GOD: Elohim. Scholar Charles Ryrie explains that Elohim is “a generic term for deity as well as a proper name for the true god. Its basic meaning is ‘strong one, mighty leader, supreme Deity.’ The form of the word is plural, indicating plentitude of power and majesty and allowing for the NT revelation of the triunity of the Godhead.” That is the scholarly definition of the GOD we love and worship. But how would you explain to someone who God is to you?
GOD, ELOHIM, we bow in worship and praise of You, for how You have revealed Your majesty to us, for how You’ve reached down and saved us, for how You will raise us up to be in Your presence one day. It is with unspeakable reverence we praise You!
Knock Knock
How would you describe yourself? Would you use “DOOR” to communicate with others who you are? I certainly wouldn’t. But Jesus did. In John 10:9 He said, “I am the DOOR; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,…” Why would Jesus describe Himself as a door? He wants us to know that there is an “outside” of heaven and an “inside” of heaven. Heaven is a place and we are “outside” until we go “into” heaven through Jesus. Make no mistake. Everyone will not live eternally “in” heaven. Only those who enter through Jesus will be in heaven. Our Heavenly Father sends a personal invitation to you to enter eternal life in heaven through Jesus who paid your entrance fee when He hung on the cross for your sins. No knocking required. Just a prayer. Repent of and confess your sins to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Learn more at Meet Jesus.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for opening the DOOR to heaven through Your sacrifice on the cross.
“Door” is one of God’s 26 character traits in my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. Learn more HERE.
I See You
You’re the best! Yes, you. I’m thinking of YOU. I see you and what you are doing. You’re the one who is devoted to your family and doing above and beyond. You encourage your children to follow Christ and His teachings. I see you. You’re the man or woman who lives alone. Your spouse has died and it’s been rough. But you are continuing on – one day at a time, trusting God. I see you. You are a quiet, humble person. You wrote out a check to Hill Country Ministries. You said you are glad that we have two of my studies being taught to a group of 50 inmates in prison and to another 50 after that and another 50. I see you. You have dealt with alcoholism. You confided in me and it has been an honor to pray for you. I celebrate your sobriety and all God is doing in your life. I see you. You are leading my Bible study, “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion” in your church. You prepare beforehand to lead your group. You pray for the ladies. I see you. You were concerned God wasn’t using you, but God used your phone call to prompt me to offer my Kids Time devotional for parents and grandparents to use with their little ones. I see you. You are Christ’s beloved daughter and son and God is using you. In ways we praise God for who He is, I see Him in you because you are being transformed into His image. “But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit,” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Yes, I see you, and more importantly, God sees you.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being our Heavenly Father. Thank You, sweet Jesus, for offering Yourself as our mediator, and that we can come before You, kneel in Your presence, pour out our hearts and be filled with Your Spirit. Thank You for the sweet saints who are living out their faith and being used by You. Comfort them. Give them Your joy. Help them celebrate Your presence.
If you’d like information about my online Bible study, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, reply to this email or email me at debbie@debbietaylorwilliams.com. You will be able to do it at a time that is convenient to you.
Feast Your Eyes On This Crown
Throughout time, people have sat on thrones and worn diadems. Some leaders have worn their crowns well and brought honor to their people. Others have brought shame. The latter was the case with the chief tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Isaiah. In contrast to the drunken leaders who wore crowns of shame; Isaiah 28:5 says of the LORD, “In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people.” The LORD GOD is a CROWN of BEAUTY. He is a DIADEM OF BEAUTY. If we’re looking for someone on whom to rest our eyes, we need look no further than the Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, CROWN of GLORY, DIADEM of BEAUTY, we feast our eyes on You!
A “Go To” Resort
I don’t know about you, but Covid put a screeching halt on me traveling for speaking engagements. What about you and any travel plans you may have had? Does a nice resort somewhere sound nice? If so, Psalm 34:4 has a recommendation. “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Nice verse, right? No, it’s more than a nice verse. It’s an incredible verse. Fear is coursing through the veins of people. “What will happen to our nation/world? What will happen to my children and grandchildren? What will happen to me?” If you are among those who are living with fear, closely consider the meaning of some of the psalmist words and rethink why Psalm 34:4 can be our testimony. “I sought the Lord.” Sought in this verse means “resort to.” Think vacation. You leave and go to a place that revives you. This is what we can do spiritually if we’re trekking through our day in fear. We can trip off to heaven. We can “resort to” the LORD in our spirit in prayer. What happened when the psalmist resorted to the Lord? God answered him and delivered him from all his fears. The word “deliver” means “snatch” in this verse. The Lord snatched him from his fears. He snatched him from a mindset of fear to a mind set on God’s heavenly provisions. Friends, it is a blessing to know that we can resort to the Lord rather than resort to worry. Going to God is the best vacation we can take.
Heavenly Father, thank You that we can resort to You rather than fear. We love You!
Show Me that You Love Me
Have you ever wished someone would do more than tell they love you; they would show you? Romans 5:8 explains that is what God did when He sent Jesus to earth. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Then, Jesus SHOWED us how much He loves us dying on the cross for our sins so we could live eternally in heaven. He showed the greatest love, as explained in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than one lay down his life for his friends.” God the Father and Son proved their love. They DEMONSTRATED their love. If you think you’re unloved, think again! They’ve shown you.
Thank You, Lord, for DEMONSTRATING Your love by saving us. Please help us increasingly demonstrate Your love to others.
Friends, I have you on my heart. Is there some way I can be praying for you?
Could God Love Me
Have you ever considered that the Heavenly Father delights in Jesus? Yes, Jesus is God’s DELIGHT as Isaiah 42:1 points out. “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul DELIGHTS.” In a world full of evil, what a blessing it must be for the Heavenly Father to look at Jesus and say, “My soul delights in You.” Reading His words stirs in me a longing for our Heavenly Father to delight in me, but I’m so mindful of my sin, I can’t imagine that being the case. Then again, could our Heavenly Father delight in us, while not delighting in our sin? Yes. Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Our Heavenly Father has set His affection on us. He loved us even before we were saved. (John 3:16) Now that we are saved, He loves and corrects us like we love and correct our children. So while celebrating God’s pure delight in Jesus, we learn what is pleasing to our Heavenly Father and how to walk by His Spirit so we can increasingly delight Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, in whom Your soul finds pure delight. Thank You for delighting in us while we learn to walk in Your ways.
The Right Person for the Job
Are you familiar with the saying, “I’m your huckleberry”? Several summers ago, my husband and I visited Glacier National Park. Right outside the park, we stopped at a restaurant that had everything huckleberry. Huckleberry pie, huckleberry pancakes. Huckleberry coffee. And, for those of you who know Keith, you won’t be surprised that he couldn’t keep from buying me a purple huckleberry teeshirt that says, “I’m your huckleberry.” I wasn’t sure what I was wearing so I did a little research. To be one’s huckleberry is “to be just the right person for a given job or a willing executor of some commission.” What does any of this have to do with Jesus? Colossians 2:9 says this about Christ, “…in Him, all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” In other words, Christ is “just the right person for the job” to fulfill all righteousness in us. He is “just the right person for the job” to help us live the Christian life. Jesus is “just the right person for the job” to help us with any and every thing we need. In other words, He is heaven’s gift to us, the willing executor of our eternal salvation. Are we rejoicing in Him? Are we rejoicing before Him? Are we embracing Heaven’s gift for every thing in our lives? If not, why not?
Lord Jesus, You and You alone are the One in whom ALL the fullness of DEITY dwells. You are God’s heavenly provision, “just the right person for the job,” for our salvation and sanctification, for our daily walk with You and before You. How we love and adore You.
If You’re Wondering What to Do About Something
Are you at your wit’s end? Do you need someone to talk to who can help you sort out your concerns, problems, and worries? God understands. Our Heavenly Father is the original COUNSELOR. And, Isaiah 9:6 says this about Jesus. Not only is He our Counselor, He is a “Wonderful Counselor.” Our Heavenly Father and Jesus are wonderful counselors because they are excellent listeners and know us inside and out. We can talk to them and know they hear us, and when we quiet ourselves in their presence, we can hear them. Talk to your Wonderful Counselor, then follow His counsel. I record what God prompts me to do in my journal, Prayers of My Heart. It helps me follow through because I can reread what I’ve recorded that He put on my heart. What do God’s prompts sound like? His prompt might be, “Open your Bible and read a Psalm.” It might be, “Stop procrastinating and tackle what is before you.” His prompt might be, “Instead of wondering about someone, call them.” Or, “Do _____ today.” A wise Christian will both talk things out with their Wonderful Counsel and follow how the Wonderful Counselor prompts them. Are we wise?
LORD, You are the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR. Increase our sensitivity to Your Voice. Help us take seriously Your counsel and follow through on what You lead us to do.