Christian Devotional
Who Is Your Spirit Guide?
When you were a child, did you play “follow the leader”?
If so, you probably remember how important it was to do what the leader did. If they placed their hand on their head, you were supposed to place your hand on your head. If they touched their toes, you were supposed to touch your toes. In order to follow, you had to keep your eye on the leader. You had to pay attention to the leader’s words.
In Isaiah 48:17, God explains something that is not child’s play. Rather, it’s an incredible offer by our Spirit guide and leader from on high. He says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.”
Many people seek a human guide, palm reader, or turn to tarot cards for direction. Yet those are mere human instruments. God freely offers Himself, His Holy Spirit, to lead us.
How closely are we listening to Him? How well are we following His lead?
God, You are my LEADER! What a blessing to follow You! Help me follow You more closely.
Have you ordered a copy of From My Heart, Poems of Faith? Within the pages, Debbie beautifully records her thoughts and prayers through the following sections: “Prayers to the Father,” “Poems of Faith,” and “Poems to Encourage.” As you read through each poem, you’ll find words of hope, comfort, and encouragement that deeply resonate with your heart. Grab a copy HERE.
One Day Everyone Will Bow Before the King of the Jews
What do you think about Jesus, the King of the Jews? To say that He is a controversial figure and has been throughout history is an understatement. For instance, Matthew 2:1-2 records that magi traveled a great distance to worship Jesus following His birth. They asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Yet Jesus’ birth caused King Herod to become troubled and then enraged to the point he slew all the male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under in an attempt to kill Jesus.
The controversy about Jesus did not end. The Pharisees and Sadducees, threatened by Jesus’s popularity, delivered Him to the Romans who sentenced Him to death on the cross.
Today, anti-semitism, prejudice against or hatred of Jews, is at an all time high, the likes of which have not existed since the Holocaust. What effect and impact does that have on people’s worship of the King of the Jews, Jesus?
Where do you stand in relation to Jesus, the King of the Jews? Do you worship Him as the magi? Or, are you troubled by Him as Herod? Or, are you threatened by Jesus as were the religious leaders of His day? One day all people will bow before Jesus, King of the Jews. Are you bowing before Him now?
Lord Jesus, KING OF THE JEWS, wise men bow before You. I pray to be increasingly wise and worshipful. Reign in my life in such a way that others see You and want to worship You.
Jesus, King of the Jews, is worthy of all our praise. Discover the power of prayer and praise in Debbie’s book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion. Get your copy HERE.
When You Feel Dreary, Think About This
Do you ever have a dreary day when life doesn’t seem so grand? When that happens remember that the King of Glory lives in you. Consider Psalm 24:7-10 with that in mind.
“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is the King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of Glory may come in! Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.”
Psalm 24 points us to Christ, the King of Glory, taking His throne. Glory in this Psalm means “majesty, splendor.”
What is amazing and should redirect our thinking if we are having a dreary day is to remember that the Spirit of the King of Glory is in believers. We are to continually acknowledge His presence and open our hearts for His glory to fill us (Ephesians 5:18).
KING OF GLORY, majestic splendor, I lift my hands and heart asking You to cleanse me and fill me with Your glory. Help others see Your presence in my life and be drawn to You.
Stay connected with Debbie beyond the blog! Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Happy Father’s Day! We hope all fathers, grandfathers, and father figures have a blessed day and know how appreciated you are!
Getting Away with Sin
Do you ever feel like things in life aren’t fair? Have you wondered why some people get away with things with no apparent consequences?
Often, those questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder about fairness. But when we question why certain people get away with doing wrong, we must quickly remember that in the end, no one gets away with anything. God sees everything, including what is in our heart. He knows our thoughts and even intentions and motives. Most importantly, God is just, as Psalm 89:14 states, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.”
If you’ve been upset and concerned because life isn’t fair, because wrong too often prevails over what is right, because our world’s justice system doesn’t always rule fairly, remember that God is just. Also, remember that there is a day when every person will stand before the judgment seat of God (Hebrews 9:27).
God weighs hearts and motives. He forgives repentant sinners. He renders judgment on unrepentant ones. Set aside any vengeance you have toward another person knowing God will rule justly because that is His nature–just.
Lord, thank You that I can trust You for You are JUST.
TIP: Write God’s attribute that I highlight in every 365 Days of Praise devotional in Prayers of My Heart. Writing it on paper writes it on your brain. When you’re troubled, flip through the pages of your journal and thank God for who He is as you reflect on His nature. It will build your confidence, decrease your stress, and help you live a more joy-filled life. Click HERE to order.
The Highest Judge
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to Judge the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).
My husband, Keith, and I celebrate our anniversary in the month of June. I’ve known him for over 50 years. I knew him when he didn’t have money to buy me french fries with my hamburger at McDonald’s. I know him as the guy who loves to put on an old t-shirt and mow the grass. But, I’ll never forget the first time I sat at the back of the room when he was holding court. After sentencing a criminal, he motioned to me to approach the bench. All eyes turned on me, and I suddenly felt nervous and intimidated. Why in the world did I feel that way? Was it the courtroom? Was it that he sat in judgment in a long black robe?
If I felt that way approaching the judgment seat of my husband, who I wake up to every morning, I can’t imagine what it will be like to sit in God’s courtroom and hear Him call my name to approach His bench.
Are you ready to hear your name called? Because it will be. Regardless of whether you want to think it or not, like it or not, it’s not your choice. Every single soul will appear before God and Christ Jesus, the Judge. Those who accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as judgment for their sins, will receive rewards at the Judgement. Those who rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ, will be judged for their thoughts, words, and actions based on God’s holiness. I can’t imagine!
Lord, I, who have received salvation through Christ humbly, gratefully praise You, JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.
Are you prepared to stand before the judgment seat of God? One way to be ready is by standing firm in your faith during these dark times in which we live. Dive deeper into how to do that in Debbie’s Bible study on Jude, Contend Earnestly for the Faith. Grab your copy HERE.
About Jesus
The Lord God Almighty named His Son Jesus. Why? Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation.” In other words, we need look no further for how to be saved from our carnal nature and hell. The answer to how we can be saved is Jesus. Only through the forgiveness of our sins by His death on the cross are we saved.
Acts 2:22-24 clearly states that our hope is in Jesus of Nazareth. “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst…this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
If you want to live in the realm of what is impossible for you and possible only by Jesus, turn to Jesus, repent of sin, and call on Him as Lord.
JESUS, Savior, I praise You with hallelujahs for saving my soul from hell and saving me for heaven and eternity with You.
Today’s key verses are Acts 2:22-24. For a deeper dive into this Scripture, watch Debbie’s teaching on Acts 2:16-47 HERE or listen to it HERE.
Are You a Tommy or David?
Standing in the checkout line, I noticed the child from the corner of my eye. You couldn’t help but notice since he was wailing at the top of his lungs, “I want it!” His bedraggled mother tried her best to wrestle the package of M&Ms from his hands while at the same time apologize to the cashier. Tommy wanted the M&M’s, but his mother knew that her child was not “lacking” for food.
Although I don’t like to admit it, there are times I can be like Tommy when things aren’t going my way. But there is another to whom we can look who points us to the key to being calm and trusting rather than demanding and complaining.
David, the shepherd boy who became king, is an example to us. In Psalm 23:1 he stated, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Say those words with me. “I shall not want.”
David grasped what I sometimes forget. There’s a difference between what I “want” and what I “lack.” Psalm 23:1 is best interpreted, “The Lord is my shepherd (Jehovah-Ra-Ah), I lack for nothing.” In other words, David was aware that the Lord was watching over him, leading, and protecting him. He was mindful of his Shepherd’s presence and provision.
If there are times you focus more on what you want rather than on God’s present provision and you desire to develop a more grateful attitude, consider daily journaling that for which you are grateful. Begin being more like David and less like Tommy.
JEHOVAH-RA-AH, thank You for being my Shepherd. Help me to be increasingly mindful that in You I lack for nothing.
Are you encouraged by the 365 Days of Praise e-devotional? Use the social media icons, below, to share it on your favorite social media platform, so others can be encouraged by it too!
The Great Provide
Have you ever felt desperate and cried out to God to help to do what He’s asked of you? No doubt, such was the case for Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
Although Abraham didn’t understand why God would ask him to do something so unthinkable, he had confidence in God’s goodness and told his servants, “We, not I, will return.”
Abraham took the steps of obedience to which God called him, one faith step at a time, not knowing how God would provide.
In the final moment, as Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice Issac, God stopped him. He provided a ram in the place of Isaac. Genesis 22:14 records, “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.’” (“Jehovah-Jireh” is the KJV’s translation of YHWH-Yireh which means “The Lord Will Provide.”)
In the act of Abraham being called to sacrifice his only begotten son we get a glimpse of what it was like for God to sacrifice His only begotten Son.
Jesus, like Isaac, was laid on the wood, stretched out, but instead of being freed, died in our place. Jehovah-Jireh, God will Provide, provided Jesus as a substitute for us.
What will you do today…and every day to show your gratitude to the Father and to Jesus?
JEHOVAH-JIREH, You saw my need and provided Your only begotten Son to die for my sins. Jesus, thank You for willingly laying down Your life for me. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and pray I daily reflect my gratitude by my life.
On this National Cancer Survivors Day, we pause to celebrate every survivor, and to give glory to our faithful Lord for healing Debbie of stage 3 lung cancer. Whether you’re a survivor, currently in the fight, or standing beside a loved one, may you know the hope, peace, and salvation found in Christ alone.
If you don’t know Jesus and would like to learn more about Him, click HERE.
For encouragement, prayers, Scripture, music, and resources for the cancer journey, visit our Hope for the Cancer+ Journey page.
Hellooooooo! Are We Listening?
When Moses first asked God what His name was, He replied, “I AM.” Then, after the Israelites “played the harlot” by worshiping a golden calf, the Lord made it clear that we are to live for Him and Him alone.
In Exodus 34:11-12, 14 God states, “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day… Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst…. for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
God clearly says that His name is Jealous. It is not okay to put things or people before God. Ouch! Does that hit close to home because other things slip in before God? How do we know if that’s happened? One way is to look at our calendar. What is our priority every day? Is it to check the news, social media, or is it to check in with God by hearing from Him through His Word and worshiping Him?
Another way is to check our bank account. Where are we spending our money? Do we give first to God’s kingdom work knowing He will provide for our needs?
A third way to check if we are putting things before God is to consider what preoccupies our mind.
Yes, our thoughts, time, and money show God and us who and what we worship. When something or someone slips into God’s place, it is important we correct, not ignore, it.
Heavenly Father, You are a JEALOUS God. May I always worship You above all else.
As believers, we can often find that we want to put God first, but we struggle against our own human nature and habits. The Apostle Peter, who struggled more than once with his human 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.
How to Know God Exists Since You Can’t See Him
“You can’t see God, so how do you know He’s there?” people sometimes ask. I think one of the best responses is found in Romans 1:19-20 where Paul writes:
“…because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Paul acknowledges that God is invisible to our eyes. However, he points out that God’s existence is clearly seen by how God has and continues to express Himself through creation.
Look at the glory of the sunrise, sunset, and heavens. Consider the majesty of the mountains. Inspect the tiniest flower. Count the sizes, shapes, and colors of animals. Marvel at the miracle of the human body.
God may be invisible, but His handiwork is clearly visible. Our privilege and calling is to give credit where credit is due for God’s creation, eternal power, and divine nature that is clearly displayed. Join me in the following chorus of praise.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
King eternal, immortal, INVISIBLE God, I praise You and thank You for the glory of Your creation and for making Yourself clearly seen through Your handiwork. May my life point people to You.
Do you make it a habit to spend time with God each day? If this is something you struggle with, 365 Days of Praise is the perfect devotional to help you spend more time in God’s presence and reflect on His incredible attributes. Get your copy HERE. You can also grab a copy of the companion praise and prayer journal, Prayers of My Heart, HERE.