Daily Devotional

Are you dragging through your day singing the blues? If so, that can change. You see, we have a choice about the music and songs we allow to play in our mind and heart as well as the ones we sing. 

In Exodus 15:2, Moses tells us the music that empowered his walk. “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him.”

The word “song” in Exodus 15:2 means music or melody. In effect, Moses says, “The Lord is my melody. He’s the music by whom I walk through my day.” 

What music or words play in your mind as you go about your day? 

If you’ve been singing the blues, you can make the choice to change to a different playlist. You can tune your heart to God’s voice and walk through your day singing His praises. Isn’t it time to tune your heart to His praise playlist? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for being the melody by which I can walk through my day. I sing Your praises. You are my strength and SONG.

Want to fill your day with songs that encourage and strengthen your spirit? Visit our Encouraging Music for the Cancer+ Journey page. You’ll find uplifting songs to help you keep your heart tuned to His praise.

Do you ever hang your head in shame because of sin? Do you ever feel bad about something you’ve done or said? If so, I’m with you. I get discouraged when I know the right thing to do and don’t do it (Romans 7:15). However, remembering who our great Lord is brings encouragement. I love knowing that Jesus is perfect and He has taken it upon Himself to perfect me, as 1 Peter 5:10 states. 

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  

What does it mean that Christ will perfect us? The Greek word for “perfect” means “to make one what he ought to be.”  Isn’t that reassuring? We will, in eternal glory, be who we ought to be, who Christ created us to be, perfect.  

In the meantime…

• Are we responsible for cooperating with the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives today? Yes!
• Are we to be intentional about renewing our minds according to God’s Word? Absolutely!
• Are we to daily look at who Christ is, repent of sin, and pray for the Spirit to transform us into Christ’s image? Yes!  That is what we are doing with 365 Days of Praise. We look at who Christ is, repent of our sin, and seek His holy filling. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:18) 

Christ is perfect and He is our perfecter. All praise to Him!

Lord, thank You for not only calling me to Your eternal glory, but for also being the PERFECTER who is transforming me into Your image. I love You and give You praise!

Would you like to do a more in-depth study of 1 Peter? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be accessed HERE.

Did you watch the cartoon “Mighty Mouse” when you were a child?  Do you remember the chorus, “Here I come to save the day! That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way!”  

When I was young, I was confident Mighty Mouse would save the day no matter the dire situation. 

Growing older doesn’t mean we no longer need someone to save us and our day. We do. We need someone to save us from sin. We need someone to save us from fear. We need someone to save us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Unlike a cartoon character, the One on whom we call is real. 

Joshua 22:22 proclaims, “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord!” God is the Mighty One. He can save you and He alone. Call on Him. 

Commit Psalm 119:147 to heart, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words.”

Heavenly Father, help me be mindful that You are the MIGHTY ONE who saves no matter the dire situation. Help me confidently wait for Your words to guide me through each situation. 

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.”

Have you ever felt “tied up” spiritually, physically, or emotionally? Like you couldn’t get free and to a place in your life you desired? Or, are you concerned for a loved one who is in physical, emotional, or spiritual bondage? If so, call on the name of the Lord on the basis of Psalm 116:16 which says, “O Lord, surely I am Your servant, …You have loosed my bonds.”

This verse (and the whole chapter) reminds us that when we call on the name of the Lord, He can do what no one else can do. He has already loosed us from the bonds of death and given us eternal freedom. So why wouldn’t the Lord desire for us to be free from anything that binds us on earth? “Unbind him and let him go,” Jesus directed those who watched Him raise Lazarus from the dead. 

If there is an area where you’re seeking freedom in your life so you can run the race God has set before you (Ephesians 2:10), then know the Lord is on your side and wants to help you. Read Psalm 116. Notice how many times the psalmist tells us what he did in order to be free. 

Will you call on the name of the Lord, knowing that His name indicates His full power and provision for you? 

Lord, You are the great and mighty God who LOOSENS BONDS. I praise You for the bonds of death from which You’ve set me free. I call on You now to loosen emotional, spiritual, or physical bonds that hinder me from running the race You’ve set before me. I call on You trusting in Your all powerful name. 

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“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades’” (Revelation 1:18).

Death seems final, doesn’t it? I wept at my mother’s graveside even though we had known her death was near. Friends and families’ words, “You’ll see her again,” were comforting. But the reality was the casket. The shovel. The dirt.

During our lifetime, we’ll lose someone to death. Jesus’ disciple, John, saw Jesus die. The scourging. The nails. The cross. The sword in His side. The blood and water. The tomb. But then, John saw Him again! Can you imagine what it must have been like for John to not only see the resurrected Christ, but to see the glorified Christ in heaven?

John recorded his experience in Revelation 1. Jesus is glowing! His eyes are brilliant. His appearance is glorious. His voice tumultuous. Jesus had a message for John to take to earth—that He has the keys of death. In other words, you’re not staying in a casket or urn. The one who made Adam out of dirt is regenerating you to your glorified body for heaven.

In light of your eternal destiny, what is your response? Do you live in light of eternity? Do you share the good news with others?  Do you put God’s eternal will before your temporal desires? 

LIVING ONE, glorious One, even though I can’t see You, I believe in You. Help me love You more each day so my life shows forth Your glory; drawing others to You.

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“I’m thirsty!” How many times have we said that? Our bodies need water. But, what about our spirits? According to Jesus, they need spiritual water, Living Water, the Holy Spirit.

Listen to Jesus’ words. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:38-39).

In these verses, Jesus tells us an important truth. Just as our body needs water, so does our spirit. Unhappy? Grumpy? Dry as a prune? If so, you could be spiritually thirsty. Go to your Heavenly Father. Tell Him, “I thirst. I feel spiritually dry.” Ask Him to refresh you. Open your heart and ask Him to fill you to overflowing with His glorious, refreshing, life-giving Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 reinforces Jesus’ words with the command that believers be filled continually with the Spirit. So yes, when your body is dry, reach for a glass of water. When your spirit is dry, reach for the Lord’s filling.

Jesus, thank You for giving me the LIVING WATER of Your Spirit who cleanses and refreshes me; who fills and energizes me to serve You. I love You, Lord. 

Click HERE to watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 7, where Jesus says that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within them, referring to the Holy Spirit. You can also listen to the podcast teaching by clicking HERE. 

Have you ever walked through an unwatered garden of wilted plants? If so, you noticed there was little fruit, if any. 

What a difference when you walk through a well-watered garden; one loved and tended to by the owner. Flowers and fruit abound. The garden has a fragrant aroma. The gardener has withheld nothing and has committed everything to care for the plants. 

In Jeremiah 31:12 God is described as a Gardner and His people like a well-watered garden. “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—and their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again.” 

If you are languishing and are spiritually wilted, I understand. Life can drain us at times. But rather than stay that way, go to your Heavenly Father. Open your Bible. Soak in His words. Be refreshed by His Spirit. 

BOUNTIFUL Lord, thank You that although life can be draining, I don’t have to be dry and languish. Rather, in You, I can find an ever-present supply and flow of love, joy, peace, and strength that provides bountifully for all I need. I praise You and give You thanks. 

Do you make it a habit to spend time with God each day? If this is something you struggles with, 365 Days of Praise is the perfect devotional to help you deepen your time in His presence and reflect on His incredible attributes. Get your copy HERE.

True or False: 

• God assigns individuals to particular tasks.
• God has appointed times in history.
• God appointed Christ to save you.

If you said “true,” you are correct. Consider the following: 

“Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him” (Genesis 21:2).

“Before I formed you…I have appointed you a prophet to the nation” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“He [Jesus] appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14).

“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mark 13:33). 

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). 

Of all God’s appointments, the greatest is Jesus. “…that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you” (Acts 3:20).

Yes, God appointed Christ to save us and He appoints times, people, events, and more. What has He appointed you to do?

Lord, who APPOINTS times, people, events and Jesus to be the Savior of the world. I praise and worship You. Help me faithfully fulfill what You’ve appointed me to do.

Our Lord, Jesus, has countless wonderful attributes that we can praise Him for. To learn more about His incredible qualities, purchase a copy of the 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional HERE. You’ll be introduced to a different attribute each day that you can praise Him for. 

In your lifetime, how many people have you seen take positions of leadership and then be unseated? People and countries are often shaken by these changes. While some people are hopeful, others are fearful. Of the many assurances the Bible gives us, one is that our Heavenly Father has an eternal reign. He is seated on a throne and there is no person or principality who can unseat Him. Psalm 9:7 assures us, “the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment.”

Forever. Established. Those are comforting words. But what about his throne of judgment? The psalmist explains in verses 8-9. “And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

Good news. In addition to the comfort of knowing that our Heavenly Father will remain long after our world’s rulers have come and gone, we have the comfort of knowing that He will righteously judge the world and be a stronghold for the oppressed. He is our stronghold, too, in our times of trouble. We can go to him. We can talk things over with Him. What do you need to talk to Him about today? 

Heavenly Father, who ABIDES FOREVER, I give you praise. You have established Your throne and no one can unseat You. Thank you for being a God of equity. Thank you that I can come to you when I’m having trouble. 

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The 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional is also now available in print. Purchase your copy HERE.