Debbie Taylor Williams

Heavenly Father. Lord. Savior. You’re familiar with those descriptions of God. Shepherd. Love. Peace. The list goes on. But what about Consuming Fire? Are you familiar with Deuteronomy 4:24 that warns, “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God”? 

Where in the Bible do we find the Lord showing forth that aspect of His nature? In Genesis 18:20, the Lord said to Abraham regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, “their sin is exceeding grave.” Genesis 19:24 records that after rescuing Lot and his family out of the cities, He “rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven.”

The New Testament reinforces the holy, consuming fire of God’s nature. Hebrews 12:29 states, “our God is a consuming fire.” Revelation 20:9 speaks of a future day when fire will again come down from heaven and devour those who fight against Him and His saints. “And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” 

Yes, our God is a consuming fire before whom sin cannot remain. 

Lord God, CONSUMING FIRE, burning in righteousness and purity, I worship and praise You. 

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Could you use some compassion? Does it seem like everything is going wrong? Are you trying your best but it never seems to be enough? Are you on a treadmill of bad habits that you’re trying to break but haven’t been successful? Do you feel like a failure? If you’ve ever felt one of those ways, then you know how our soul longs for compassion when we’re going through those times. 

Exodus 34:6 is an incredible word from God if you could use some compassion. “Then the LORD passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.’” 

Those are wonderful words to hear any time, but do you know when God expressed His compassion to Moses? It was on Moses’ second trek up Mount Sinai for a “redo” of the Ten Commandments. Why a redo? Because when Moses saw the Israelites worshiping the golden calf he angrily shattered them. Yes, God called Moses back up the mountain and showed him compassion. Our Heavenly Father is compassionate. Go to Him. Call on Him. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me, forgiving me, and being COMPASSIONATE toward me. Help me gratefully receive Your compassion and then extend it to others. 

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How would you answer the question, “What brings you deep pleasure?” Or, who brings you deep pleasure? How would you fill in the blank? My soul delights in _________________. Did you say sports, music, family, friends, work, cooking, reading, or perhaps traveling? 

It brings us to the next question. What brings our Heavenly Father deep pleasure? We find the answer in Isaiah 42:1. “’Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen One in whom My soul delights.’” God’s soul delights in Jesus, His Chosen One. 

It causes me to wonder if our souls might experience more delight if we focused on Jesus, God’s Chosen One. Rather than go through each day expecting “just another day,” we can open our eyes to all we have in Jesus: peace with our Heavenly Father, an inheritance awaiting us in heaven, daily provision, the presence of the Holy Spirit, someone who loves and cares for us. 

Use today to focus your soul—mind, emotions, and will—on Jesus, God’s chosen One. Experience pleasure you might otherwise miss.

Jesus, God’s CHOSEN ONE, in whom the Heavenly Father’s soul delights, I love You. Thank you for the joy and peace You give me each day. Help me be more mindful of how my soul can delight in You regardless of my circumstances.

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Sheep. It’s been said they’re not the smartest animals in the world. That’s why they benefit from having a shepherd to watch over them and care for them. 

In relation to God, we’re not always the smartest, either. That’s why we benefit from having a Shepherd to watch over us and lead us in the right direction. 

Matthew 9:36 records that Jesus, “Seeing the people, felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” 

Mark 6:34 says that Jesus, “began to teach them many things.” 

What is Jesus, the Chief Shepherd’s (1 Peter 5:4), response to seeing us distressed and dispirited? 

He teaches us what to do and how to live. Of all the voices vying for our attention, Jesus’ voice is the One to follow. The Bible is His voice in print. If we’re smart “sheep,” we’ll read and follow His teachings. 

Thank You, Jesus, CHIEF SHEPHERD of my soul, for looking at me with compassion and for teaching and leading me. 

Would you like to deepen your relationship with God? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you grow in your walk with the Lord. We offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

Have you read the book of Isaiah or perhaps some of the following of Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming Messiah and how he describes Jesus? With which of the following are you familiar? 

Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

Isaiah 53:5-6, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 

What about Isaiah 19:20 where Jesus is described as a Champion? “It will become a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.” The word “Champion” in this verse is from the Hebrew word “raḇ” and means “Mighty One.” 

Yes, Isaiah describes the Lord as not only Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Savior, but also as Champion, the Mighty One. Are you in a battle and need a win? Do you know someone else who is struggling and needs victory in their life? Call on the Lord, who is Champion over all.

Lord, You are Savior and CHAMPION, the One who can save and deliver me. I look to You in praise.

Want to learn more about living by Christ’s divine nature? Get Debbie’s Bible study on 2 Peter, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.

A few years ago, during the height of Covid, my morning started off peacefully. However, after my quiet time and while scanning the news, I became increasingly anxious as I read an article that listed 98 symptoms of Covid. 
An increasing number of concerns are causing anxiety to rise. Disease, war, political turmoil, gender identity, hate crimes, poverty as well as new threats such as AI (artificial intelligence). 

What is important for us to remember is that Jesus is with us, He cares for us, and doesn’t want us to carry our anxiety. He tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 

Did we get that? Jesus cares for us. He tells us to cast our anxiety on Him. He can handle it. Just like a fisherman casts his net on the water, we are to cast our anxieties on Jesus. 

What are you anxious about today? Knowing that Jesus cares for you, will you cast your anxiety on Him? 

Jesus, thank You for CARING for me. Thank You that I can cast my anxiety on You; that You will take it and help me.

Would you like to learn how to experience more of God’s grace and peace in your life? Grab a copy of Debbie’s Bible study on 1 Peter, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying online videos and podcasts HERE. 

We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. 

We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” 

But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgives us and we say, “Not gonna do it.” He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self which was made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we march through our day as if we didn’t hear Him. He says to take up our cross and follow Him by laying down our life and we go on with our day as if He wasn’t talking to us. 

If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then wouldn’t we obey Jesus’ commands and trust Him to lead us? 

The question is, where is our faith…is it in ourselves or in Jesus? Here’s another question – how might you exercise your faith today by doing something He has told you to do that doesn’t come naturally to you? 

Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING WHAT DOESN’T EXIST. Please call into being my total obedience to what You tell me to do.

Would you like an organized and convenient way to record your praises and prayer requests? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal HERE.

Have you ever looked at yourself and thought, “I need a makeover”? Have you wondered how you could build a better life? If so, the answer is found in Hebrews 3:4 which tells us God is “the builder of all things.” 

Yes, Jesus was more than a small-town carpenter. He built the heavens and earth. Jesus built a global church from a small number of men and women. If He can build the heavens and all creation and if He can recreate us at our spiritual birth, He can remodel us and in fact, wants to. 

If we have attempted to improve ourself but failed, perhaps it’s because we have been attempting a DIY (Do It Yourself) makeover and we need a professional. 

Ask the Lord, the builder of all things, to reconstruct your thoughts, to remodel your desires, and to enlarge the sunroom of your heart so it is a place where He and you meet. Ask Jesus to remodel you to think and look like Him. 

Jesus, BUILDER OF ALL THINGS, You are my Savior Carpenter. You took nails that were meant for me on Your holy body. Reconstruct my mind and heart so I am a holy place in whom You dwell; where others can draw near and see You. 

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