Christian Devotional

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. 

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 a meaningful gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, or an end-of-year teacher gift? We’ve got you covered. Prayers of My Heart, 365 Days of Praise, and Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion are thoughtful options that speak truth and encouragement into everyday life. Each can be gifted on its own or given as a set.

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 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 was barreling 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.

Have you ever appreciated a Biblical truth but gained a deeper appreciation while reading the Bible? That happened to me while teaching Acts 10. The Lord gave Peter a vision and told him to go to the house of Cornelius, a non-Jew, and share the message of salvation with his household. Peter, who once thought that God was the God of the Jews only, was illumined and led by the Spirit to say, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

Paul reinforced this miraculously good news in Romans 3:29. “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?” 

If the God of the Jews had not extended the gift of salvation through Jesus to those who are not Jewish by birth, all people besides Jews would have been excluded from heaven for eternity. The good news is, the God of the Jews opened the door for non-Jews to be saved. Could I hear a “hallelujah”? 

GOD OF THE GENTILES, I praise You for extending the glorious gift of salvation to those who are not Jews. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

If you’d like to explore Acts 10 more fully and see how God reveals His heart for all people, you can watch Debbie’s full teaching HERE or listen HERE.

Are you familiar with the story of David and Goliath? It’s an account of a lad using a slingshot to overpower a giant. Unlike a Disney movie, it isn’t fiction. 

I encourage you to open your Bible and read 1 Samuel 17 as if it were your first time. A number of things jumped out to me when I reread the passage.

David was confident that he would prevail over the giant. (Not could, but would.) He wasn’t hoping that luck would be on his side. Rather, his confidence was rooted in his past experiences when God had been there for him. Yes, Goliath was different from prior “giants” he’d faced, but God was the same present help. 

First Samuel 17:45 records his confidence in God. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.’” 

Are you facing a giant in your life? Are you afraid you won’t prevail? Although people may offer you what’s worked for them in the past, their “armor,” the fact is, your reliance on the God of the Armies of Israel is what is necessary for God to empower you and ensure victory. 

Is He your confidence today?

Heavenly Father, GOD OF THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL, I place my confidence in You.

If you’re facing a giant today and need a daily reminder to place your confidence in the God who never changes, the 365 Days of Praise Devotional and the Prayers of My Heart Praise and Prayer Journal are meaningful resources to help you stay grounded in His truth and connected to God through praise and prayer. 

Have you ever thought about how God is a God of order? If not, consider how Jeremiah 31:35 points out that He is. 

“‘Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name.’” 

The Lord of hosts is a God of order. He created order in the universe. He created order for our days, nights, and seasons. He created order in protons, neutrons, and electrons making up atoms. And of protons and neutrons being made of three quarks each. 

If order doesn’t come naturally to you. If in fact, it is a struggle for you to have order in your days, weeks, and months; in your family, business, or ministry, turn to Jesus for help. Ask Him how you can better order your days and weeks, your family and commitments. Begin each day with a prayer to the God of order then walk by His counsel. 

Heavenly Father, You are a GOD OF ORDER. Please order my days so I faithfully fulfill Your purposes. 

The Prayers of My Heart prayer journal is a great way to order your prayers and praises. Grab a copy HERE!

Do you feel hopeless? Has the last bit of hope to which you’ve clung just flown out the window? Does your future seem bleak and although you’ve tried to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” as the saying goes, it hasn’t worked? 

The good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to ditch thoughts of hopelessness. Why? You know the God of hope. Not only do you know Him, He has also promised to always be with you. What’s more, He’s not only with you, He’s in you. 

Paul helps us understand what we need to do when we feel hopeless in Romans 15:13. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” In this verse, Paul points out that what we need is for the Holy Spirit, the God of Hope, to fill us. We need Him who is joy and peace and power to consume our very being. 

What is our part? Believing. In other words, our hope is not based on luck, our ability to make things happen, or what another person does or says. It’s not even a question of if we have hope. If we’re a believer, we have hope in the Holy Spirit as Romans 15:13 points out. “Now may the God of hope…” “Fill you…” is the key.

When we are down, we must ask ourselves, “Am I allowing the God of hope to fill me with His joy and peace?” You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Believe God is on the throne and that He sees you and loves you. In faith, pray, “God of hope, fill me with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit.” 

GOD OF HOPE, thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit so I can abound in hope by Your power. I love and adore You. 

Praise is a powerful weapon we can use to turn around feelings of hopelessness or discouragement. Download this free printable of the attributes of Jesus from the book of John. As you read through them, praise God for each one! 

Are you familiar with the concept of “one world government”? What do you think about it? Do you think it would work and who do you think would rule it? Philosopher Dante Alighieri supported it, but Philosopher Thomas Hobbes opposed it on the basis that humans are innately morally corrupt. Attempts by the League of Nations and United Nations to maintain international peace and security have failed. 

Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” in John 14:30 and Satan maintained he was when he offered the world to Jesus in Matthew 4:8-9. One only needs to look around at the violence in our world to see what Satan’s rule looks like. 

So where do believers stand? Has God forgotten us? No. Isaiah 54:5 assures us, “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of All the Earth.” This prophetic assurance to the nation of Israel extends to believers who have been grafted into the vine of Christ. 

Although Satan has temporary rule of the earth, his reign is term-limited. (See Revelation 20.) In addition, all who turn from Satan to Jesus are immediately born into a new kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, of love, peace, and joy. 

When Christ, God of All the Earth, returns, He will establish the utopia for which our soul yearns. Have you entered into His kingdom by rejecting Satan’s rule and confessing Jesus as Lord and King? Are you telling others about Christ?

GOD OF ALL THE EARTH, I can’t wait for You to come and reign over the world. Thank You for giving me a glimpse of Your peace through the Holy Spirit’s reign in my heart.

Want to learn more about the end times, Bible prophecy, and Christ’s return? Watch or listen to Debbie’s teachings on the end times HERE. You can also purchase a copy of the End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE.