Debbie Taylor Williams

Are you a builder? If so, you know how important the cornerstone is when constructing the foundation of a building. Just as a cornerstone is necessary for a strong foundation, Jesus is the necessary foundation for our Christian faith as 1 Peter 2:6 points out. “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in Him (Jesus) will not be disappointed.”

Did you catch that? We will not be disappointed if we build our lives on Jesus. 

In addition, Peter uses the word “precious” in his description of Jesus as the cornerstone; meaning “honorable, noble.” Our faith is built on not only a firm, excellent foundation, but on the Father’s noble, honorable Son. 

Your faith is of great value. It is built on the precious cornerstone of Jesus, and as Peter writes, you will not be disappointed. Yes, we will experience disappointments on this side of heaven, but get ready. Get ready for what? The revelation of Jesus, the precious cornerstone of your faith, when you see Him one day in heaven. 

Lord Jesus, You are the PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE of my faith. I love You. I adore You. I am not disappointed, but rather enthralled with You. Thank You for the incredible, eternal blessing of being able to build my life on You. May others see my relationship with You and be drawn to also build their lives on You. 

Today’s key verse is 1 Peter 2:6. 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.

“I’m so busy.” “There never seem to be enough hours in the day.” 

Can you relate? Do you know who else can? Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus traveled to different regions sharing the good news, ministering to crowds, shepherding His disciples, and healing the sick. However, regardless of how full His day, He was intentional about His prayer time with God. “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35). 

Not only did Jesus spend time with God in prayer, but did you notice it said He went to a secluded place? In other words, in addition to praying with people, Jesus also prioritized time alone with God. Jesus teaches His followers to spend time alone in prayer. “…when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6a). 

Prioritizing prayer like Jesus did—in the early morning, alone with God, to tell Him your needs and to listen to Him are important.

Jesus knew that prayer was necessary. It is the way we stay connected to our Heavenly Father, abide in Him, and do His will. It is the key to bearing His fruit through our lives (John 15:1-8). 

How faithfully do you prioritize praying first thing in the morning? How faithfully do you meet alone with your Heavenly Father?

Jesus, thank you for showing me what it means to be PRAYERFUL. Help me prioritize spending time alone with You and the Father in prayer. 

Learn to seek God in prayer through Debbie’s book, Pray With Purpose, Live With Passion. Purchase your copy HERE.

When you’re grocery shopping, do you smell fruit, such as cantaloupe or peaches, to determine if they’re ripe? I remember the first time I saw someone hold a cantaloupe close to her nose. After she placed it in her basket, I decided to try the smell test.

The first cantaloupe I held close to my nose had zero fragrance. I returned it and reached for another one, wondering if the smell test was bogus. But as I held the second one close to my nose, I was pleasantly surprised. It had a sweet aroma. That evening, when I took a bite, I wasn’t disappointed. Its taste matched its smell.

Second Corinthians 2:15 says that Christians are a fragrance of Christ to God and to others. In other words, as we move about and connect with people, they get a whiff of us.

I wonder: Do they smell the sweet presence of Jesus, or do they get a whiff of our anxiousness, impatience, or sin? To find out how you can become a sweet aroma of Christ, please click HERE.

• Jesus used Scripture to stand against Satan’s temptations. We can do that.
• Jesus shared His Father’s kingdom principles, how to be forgiven, and how to be saved. We can do that.
• Jesus reached out to people; to help them. We can do that.
• Jesus looked up in prayer and thanked His Father for hearing Him. We can do that.
• Jesus prayed before He made decisions. We can do that.
• Jesus followed His Father’s leading rather than doing things on His own initiative. We can do that.

Heavenly Father, as Jesus was PLEASING to You, help me be pleasing to You.

Looking for some more resources to deepen your relationship with God? Click HERE to check out the books and Bible studies written by Debbie. You can also access free online Bible studies by clicking HERE. 

“Are you a fisherman?” someone asked after I’d shared that my husband and I’d fished on our vacation.

“Yes! I love to fish.”

“So do you fly fish?” my friend questioned.

“I do,” I replied, noticing by his “hymph” that he was a little surprised. Then I decided I needed to clarify. “Well, I like to cast, and I like to catch fish, but I really don’t take the fish off the hook. And I need someone to tell me what bait to use.”

The more I thought about it, I wondered if I should even say I’m a fisherman. That caused me to realize that sometimes in the United States, we use the word “Christian” rather loosely, like I rather loosely said I’m a fisherman.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Well, certainly not just showing up at a church building a couple of times a year. Christ defined His followers as those who actually followed His teachings. If you’d like to know more about what it means to be a Christian, please click HERE.

Many of us today seek peace. We may watch a movie or scroll through social media to distract us from anxious thoughts. We may pursue financial security, hoping money will bring peace. 

Although pursuing things in search of peace may not be bad in and of itself, it’s important to recognize the source of true peace, which Judges 6:24 explains is the Lord. “Gideon built an altar to the Lord and named it ‘The Lord is Peace.’” 

The Lord is Peace. Jesus affirmed this before His ascension into heaven. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). The peace Jesus promised wasn’t just for the disciples, but for us. Jesus understood the troubles and trials of life. But in the midst of them, He gives peace that supersedes what the world offers. I came to know His peace when I was 29 years old and received a letter from MD Anderson telling me that I had Stage 1 ovarian cancer. As I cried out to God, He assured me that He would be with me, my husband, and child. If I died, He would take care of them and I would be in heaven with Him. Jesus’ peace flooded my soul as it did again in 2024 when I was diagnosed with lung cancer.  

Do you know His peace? Do you practice and experience Philippians 4:6-7 “…be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If you don’t know the peace Jesus offers, cry out to Him today. Proclaim as Gideon did, “The Lord is Peace.”

Lord, thank You for the PEACE You give that is not of this world. 

If you or a loved one are walking through cancer or another difficult season, we invite you to visit Hope for the Cancer+ Journey. There you’ll find encouraging resources, uplifting music, and reminders of God’s presence to help you experience His peace day by day.

Are you familiar with Jesus’ teaching, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” Matthew 7:7? Ask means to call for, to request of someone. Jesus teaches us to request of the Father what we need. But Jesus not only teaches us to ask God for desired needs, but He also asks God for things. In John 14:16, Jesus told His disciples, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Paraclete), that He may be with you forever…” Who is the Paraclete? He’s the Holy Spirit (Helper) who is with us forever.

Studying the Greek definition of the word “Helper” or “Paraclete”…ummm…helps. Consider the following definition of Paraclete: 

• Someone summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid.
• One who pleads another’s cause before a judge, counsel for defense, an advocate.
• Of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after His ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.¹ 

It’s staggering when we think of the magnitude of God’s provisions for us. Our Heavenly Father not only took it upon Himself to send His Son to save us but also sent the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, to be an abiding divine presence within us. We never walk alone.

Heavenly Father, Son, and PARACLETE, the blessing of Your Presence is something I will only fully realize when I am in Heaven. Thank You, Lord!

Want to learn more about the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, and how to discern His voice? Listen HERE.

¹  “Strong’s G3875 – paraklētos,” Blue Letter Bible, accessed July 26, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3875/kjv/tr/0-1/.

Which are you? Tight-lipped or open-lipped? In other words, are you reluctant to speak and don’t reveal much about what’s going on inside of you? Or, are you more open-lipped and let what you’re thinking and feeling readily come forth?

James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak when we’re angry. But what about in relation to praising God? In this case, we are to be like the psalmist, who prayed in Psalm 51:15. “O LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

Are we grateful? Are our hearts flooded with God’s goodness? I hope so. Even when there seems to be nothing for which we can praise Him, we can open our lips and praise Him for His presence with us, His provision for us, and His purposes He will bring forth.

Develop a mindset of gratefulness. Fill your heart with praise. Open your mouth and let your praise flow to God. Pray, “LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

Lord who OPENS OUR LIPS, thank You for who You are and for all the incredible ways You have worked in my life, are working, and will work. You are worthy day and night of my praise. Open my lips so that I may declare Your praise. 

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A few mornings ago, as my husband headed out the door, I said, “Hey honi, want an apple to take with you?” I was really surprised when he looked at me and said, “No! Those apples are horrible.”

I was shocked. Organic. Firm to the touch. I decided to try it for myself. I took a bite, and ugh, he was right. It was mushy on the inside.

You know, it’s really not how we appear on the outside that counts as much as whether or not we have goodness on the inside. There’s only one person who can make us good on the inside, and that’s Jesus.

Lord, thank you for making us good on the inside.

LISTEN

Have you ever considered that God appoints people, times, places, and more? Contemplate the following verses and worship Him for His involvement in our lives and world. 

“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 3:17).

“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 in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah” (Jonah 1:17).

“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).

Yes, God appoints times, people, places, and more. What has He appointed you to do? 

Lord God, You are the ONE WHO APPOINTS people, places, and times. Help me be mindful, hopeful, and watching for what You appoint me to do. 

Are you looking to deepen your relationship with Christ? Check out our Bible studies! You can purchase printed Bible studies in the shop by clicking HERE. You can also complete free online Bible studies by clicking HERE.