Christian Devotional
The Excellence of Our God
I love the focus on God today and Psalm 8:9 KJV, which points to His excellent name: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!”
Isn’t this what 365 Days of Praise is about: the names of God that draw us to more deeply appreciate the excellence of His character and marvel at every facet of Him that sparkles like a multi-cut diamond? I hope you are saying “yes” with me and are increasingly impacted by His excellence as you gaze on Him and yield your life to Him.
Look back at the names, titles, and characteristics of God in this book. Have you highlighted any attributes you want to remember and for which you are most thankful? Does it put a smile on your face to think about who God is? I pray it does, and I invite you to celebrate the following verses and praise God for His excellence:
“How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God!” (Psalm 36:7 KJV)
“Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.” (Psalm 150:2)
“Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things.” (Isaiah 12:5)
“…[Jesus]…has inherited a more excellent name…” (Hebrews 1:4)
“…He has obtained a more excellent ministry…” (Hebrews 8:6)
“…because an excellent spirit was in him…” (Daniel 6:3 KJV)
“…from the excellent glory…” (2 Peter 1:17 KJV)
Yes, the Lord’s name, ways, lovingkindness, ministry, Spirit, and glory are excellent. As Psalm 148:13 KJV instructs, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent.” Pray to increasingly reflect God’s excellence by your behavior (1 Peter 2:12).
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, You are EXCELLENT in all Your ways. I love and cherish You. Please infuse me with Your glory so people see and believe You are the only way to heaven. I love you, LORD.
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Worthy Because of Christ
Have you ever considered that because Christ paid for your sins you are worthy of heaven? Say that a few times in order for it to sink in. “I am worthy of heaven.”
Yes, believers are worthy of heaven but only because Christ exchanged His righteousness for our sins so that we would have His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Colossians 1:10 reminds believers of our high calling; of being found righteous and worthy through Christ. Rather than ignore the gift of our salvation, Paul writes to believers, “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Yes, as Christians we’re to walk in a manner worthy of or “suitably” of the Lord Jesus, who is worthy.
We may have a hazy understanding of what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, but we know what it means to be suitable. A child who puts on dirty clothes for school is told to put on something suitable, something clean for school. In the same manner, but to a much greater degree, believers are to “put off” the old self. We are to “put on” the new self and walk in a manner worthy (suitable) of the Lord. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
The Lord is worthy. We are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. How well are we doing?
Lord, You are WORTHY of honor and praise and glory. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I walk worthy of You, pleasing You in all respects.
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Jesus on the Witness Stand
Do you ever wonder who you can believe? One person says one thing and another claims the opposite.
Yes, it can sometimes be difficult to know who to believe, but that is not the case when Jesus speaks.
Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus Christ as “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.”
Jesus is a faithful witness.
A witness of what?
Jesus witnessed to us about heaven, His Father, angels, crowns of righteousness awaiting believers, resurrection bodies, thrones, powers, kingdoms, the judgment seat, forgiveness, redemption, His Father’s house, and about Satan.
Jesus testified about the fact that Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jonah were real people and that the Old Testament is true.
Our confidence in the Bible and its teachings solidly rests on Christ because He is a faithful witness to us that they are true.
Lord Jesus, I praise You, the faithful WITNESS! Thank You for the confidence I have in the Bible and in You because of Your word.
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Follow the Lord’s Wise Ways
Are you in the midst of making a decision? Do you wonder what the best course of action is regarding work, parenting, a relationship, your health or finances?
If ever there was a time to follow God’s wise ways, it is now. We need wisdom for daily decisions. We need wisdom for how to proceed when the unexpected happens.
Proverbs 2:6 tells us that God is the source and provider of wisdom. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”
The apostle Paul praises God in his letter to the Romans, “to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 16:27).
The word, “wise” which is “sophos” in Greek, means “forming the best plans and using the best means for their execution.”
Paul again refers to God being wise in 1 Timothy 1:17. “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Did you notice in both passages that Paul not only states that God is wise, but he also specifies, “the only wise God”?
What a blessing that we can go to our Heavenly Father, study His ways, pray, and walk in the light of His wise ways. Are we?
WISE Heavenly Father, I praise You for allowing me to come to You. Thank You for providing me with wisdom for daily life. Thank You for the wisdom You give me in the midst of hard decisions. I love You.
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Choose the Right One to Please
Do you ever feel like you can’t please anyone? Or, do you ever feel that you can’t please everyone?
It’s normal to want to please those we love. However, we’re wise to realize that we can’t please everyone. Not even Jesus pleased everyone. So how do we prioritize who we please? We follow Jesus’ example, who was well-pleasing to the Father as Matthew 11:25-26 points out. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.’”
John 8:29 further points out that Jesus pleased His Father. “He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
If you’re in a quandary about how to live so that you please your Heavenly Father, follow Jesus’s example.
- Jesus used Scripture to stand against temptation. We can do that.
- Jesus reached out to others in love. We can do that.
- Jesus prayed before making decisions. We can do that.
- Jesus followed His Father’s leading rather than His own impulses and initiative. We can do that.
There is no one more important for us to please than our Heavenly Father. We can do that.
Heavenly Father, as Jesus was WELL-PLEASING to You, help me please You.
There’s still time to purchase your copy of the updated edition of the 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional while it’s on sale! With 365 A–Z names and traits of God, daily prayers, and practical life applications, this devotional offers encouragement all year long. It also makes a thoughtful, faith-building Christmas gift for family and friends or anyone who could use daily hope and encouragement. Get your copy HERE.
Which Way Will You Choose?
Depending on how old you are, you may be familiar with Frank Sinatra’s hit song, “My Way,” whose lyrics reflect on life and its end. A repeated sentiment in the song, “I did it my way,” resonated with people when it first came out as well as today. People pride themselves in forging their own path, being self-driven, independent, and in charge of their destiny.
When it comes to God and eternal matters, many people buck at the idea of absolute truth. They believe in pluralism, which embraces the idea that there is more than one way to heaven. However, in spite of what people believe, Jesus was clear that there is only one Way to heaven and that is through faith in Him.
John 14:6 records Jesus’s declaration, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
Acts 4:12 affirms the absolute necessity of trusting Jesus as the way to eternal life in heaven. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is not only the Way, but He also made the way for us to have eternal life. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross paid our sin debt. God has given us free will to accept or reject Jesus. The Bible warns that those who do not believe in Christ and don’t obey the gospel of Jesus will face eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Those who accept Christ are made righteous through Him and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 25:46). Have you said “yes” to the Way to eternal life?
Lord, thank You for being the WAY to eternal life. I’m grateful beyond words and give You all praise. Bring into my life those with whom I can share that You are the way, the truth, and the life.
To learn more about Jesus as the Way to eternal life, watch Debbie’s teaching on John 14 HERE or listen to it HERE.
If You Want God’s Glorious Protection
Throughout the years that I have watched for how God reveals Himself in Scripture, one that I only recently noticed was Wall of Fire. “‘For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her (Jerusalem), and I will be the glory in her midst,’” Zechariah 2:5.
What does the LORD mean that He will be a “wall of fire”?
Scholar and author Herbert Lockyer writes, “Many were the trials and tribulations overtaking a covenant people in their city without walls. But although hemmed in on every side by foes, abundant proof was given that God had not forgotten His promise to shield Jerusalem and His remnants within it.” 1
We have already considered how God is a shield. In this description, we are told one of the ways He has shielded His people is by being a wall of fire.
Evidence of God protecting the Israelites by being a wall of fire can be found in Exodus 13:21-22. “The LORD was… a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”
Numbers 14:14 records, “They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.”
Yes, the LORD is a glorious wall of fire protecting His own.
Lord God, WALL OF FIRE, thank You for the visible evidence of Your glorious protection of the Israelites. Thank You for the glorious protection You provide me in my time of need.
“Wall of Fire” is just one of the many incredible attributes of our Lord. To explore more, you can find them in the updated edition of 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional. It is now available and on sale on Amazon in both paperback and e-book formats. Get your copy HERE.
1 Herbert Lockyer, All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975), 81.
If You Want Joy
Jesus is interested in you and if your days and life are meaningful. Why? He designed us to be productive.
In John 15:1-2, Jesus explains that our lives can be fruitful if we live in union with Him. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
Why does God prune and take away dead, fruitless branches?
Why does He watch to see if we bear fruit?
A fruitful life brings God glory and us joy.
I didn’t understand that until I planted a garden several years ago. Then I understood the joy of seeing a branch bear a flower and then fruit.
God is our vinedresser. He watches us every day and prunes from us that which is unproductive so we bear His glorious fruit.
If we sometimes feel the pressure of the Father’s pruning shears on us, it’s proof that He loves us and is present in our life. Rather than resist His pruning, be glad that He cares about you. Yield to His touch. You’ll bear more fruit and experience more joy.
Lord, You are the VINEDRESSER. I praise You that You care about me. Thank You for the fruit of Your Spirit. Thank You that I can bear fruit that glorifies You.
Learn more about abiding in Jesus and bearing good fruit by watching Debbie’s teaching on John 15 HERE. Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe for more teachings by Debbie!
Who Will Vindicate the Orphan and Oppressed
Evil, as you are aware, abounds on earth. Human trafficking, child abuse, pornography, persecution of Christians, rape, violence, abandonment, murder, the list goes on.
God is not blind. He sees what is going on in our nation and world.
God is not deaf. He hears the prayers of those being wronged and the prayers of those interceding on their behalf.
Psalm 10:17-18 assures us that there will be a day of reckoning.
God will vindicate the orphan and oppressed. “O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.”
The Bible assures us that God is the vindicator of the orphan and oppressed. He will execute judgment on evil.
In the meantime, Christ has commissioned believers to be His light to those who are hurting and have been wronged. Rather than wring our hands while we await Christ’s return, we are to act as His ambassadors on earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). In what way are you being, or might you be, the Lord’s presence to someone who has been wronged or to someone whose heart needs strengthening?
Lord, thank You for the assurance that You hear the humble, the orphan, and the oppressed. Thank You for being the VINDICATOR of the wronged. Use me as Your presence to encourage those who are hurting and need strengthening.
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Oh, Victory in Jesus
Sin. It’s here. Our sin or another person’s sin is a part of this earthly life. Perhaps one of the most glaring sins is selfishness. We want what we want. We want it when we want it. Things or people who stand in our way frustrate us. But what if sin didn’t exist? What if we were free of sin?
The good news is that day, a day when sin doesn’t exist, awaits believers. Because of Christ’s victory over sin and death, we will be sin-free one day. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:57 are words we should echo every day: “…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Meditate on the words Paul uses. Gives. Us. Victory.
We will one day experience the victory of what our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ accomplished through the virgin birth, cross, and resurrection. They literally gave us victory we could not obtain on our own.
In the meantime, let’s remember to give thanks to God for the daily victory we have over sin through the Spirit’s empowerment.
Let’s remember and give thanks to God for the eternal victory over death through Christ.
Let’s raise our voices in praise of Christ. If you know the song, “Victory in Jesus,” sing it with all your heart.
Lord, I praise and worship You for being VICTORIOUS over sin and death. I can never thank You enough for my eternal salvation that You obtained through Your sinless life and sacrificial death on the cross. Help me serve You well and faithfully.
Want to learn more about how to live by Christ’s divine nature instead of our sinful, fallen nature? 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.