Debbie Taylor Williams
Better than Bootstraps
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!
The Gift of a Comforter
One blanket. Two blankets. Three blankets. Four. Keith and I sat in front of the fire trying to get warm. The winter storm had brought a temperature of 3 degrees that felt like minus 11. If only we had power and water. We had neither.
The winter storm continued, and our driveway was too icy to get down. If you’ve lived in an area affected by winter storms, you know how devastating the cold can be, especially if you run out of wood, which happened to us. We couldn’t complain, though. We had a comforter. A comforter that we had once taken for granted, we now deeply appreciated.
So, too, our spiritual Comforter, who 2 Corinthians 1:3 describes as the God of All Comfort, is a blessing when we are experiencing life’s storms. Yes, when a person’s crisp tongue chills us to the core or the howling wind of despair blows through our heart, the God of all Comfort comforts us like none other. Why?
The Greek word for comfort means “to call to one’s side, speak to in the way of exhortation, console, teach.” God gives believers the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. Our Comforter is an abiding presence who will never wear out, never become threadbare, and never leave us. The more we blanket our lives with His teachings, the more we’ll know the warmth of His abiding presence.1
Heavenly Father, You are the GOD OF ALL COMFORT. Please comfort those who are suffering. Give them Your wisdom. Strengthen them as only You can.
Would you like to abide more in the warmth of God’s presence? Grab a copy of the 365 Days of Praise Daily Devotional to help you spend more time in God’s presence and learn more about His incredible attributes. Purchase your copy HERE.
1 Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, page 67. Copyright Howard Publishing 2006, Debbie Taylor Williams, Monroe, LA
From Start to Finish
If you’re a runner or know someone who is, you understand the importance of removing anything that might slow you down. You’re also aware of how critical it is to stay focused while running and not get sidetracked by any distractions. You or someone you know has probably also experienced weariness at some point while running—maybe toward the end of a race, a marathon, or a high-mileage run.
Hebrews 12 draws a comparison between the Christian life and running a race. The chapter starts out by encouraging believers to throw off any hindrances, such as sin, that so easily entangles, and to run the race with perseverance. Hebrews 12:2 goes on to say, “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus despised the shame of the cross, yet He suffered through it in order to not only give us a start in our Christian walk, but to also make sure that our faith is perfected, complete, and finished. You see, Jesus is not only the author or the source of our faith, but He also oversees, sustains, and completes the faith of those who trust in Him. Philippians 1:6 reminds us of this—“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
It is with tremendous gratitude each of us should look heavenward in praise of our Lord and thank Him—the author and finisher of our faith!
Lord Jesus, I praise You! I thank You that You are not only the author, but also the FINISHER OF OUR FAITH!
We don’t have to run the Christian race alone. Jesus sent us a Helper—the Holy Spirit. To learn more about Christ’s gift, listen to this free podcast teaching: Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.
Exalted
The news that singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 Chart exalted her to new heights in 2023. However, her exalted position is not guaranteed. Only the Lord God’s is, as He tells us in Psalm 46:10. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 148:13 also reminds us, “His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above earth and heaven.”
The Lord is exalted above other gods. “For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods,” Psalm 97:9
What about Jesus? Acts 5:31 tells us, “He is the One whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Although the Lord is highly exalted, Psalm 138:6 encourages us that “though the LORD is exalted, yet He regards the lowly.”
How amazing our exalted Lord is! What should be our response? Nehemiah 9:5 tells us. “Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!”
Our Lord is highly exalted above all yet regards the lowly. Will you humbly exalt and bless His glorious name; praising Him for regarding you?
EXALTED Lord, I praise You, bless Your glorious name, and thank You for regarding me.
Do you commute to work and want to listen to some encouraging teachings by Debbie while you drive? Let her podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, on Podbean help you set your mind on Christ before you start your day!
The Door to Heaven and Eternal Life
How would you describe yourself? Would you ever use “door” to describe yourself? I certainly wouldn’t. But Jesus did. In John 10:9, He said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.”
Why would Jesus describe Himself as a door? He wants us to know that there is an “outside” of heaven and an “inside” of heaven. Heaven is a place, and we are “outside” until we go “into” heaven through Jesus.
Make no mistake. Everyone will not live “in” heaven. Only those who enter through Jesus will be in heaven. Our Heavenly Father sends a personal invitation to everyone to enter eternal life in heaven through Jesus who paid our entrance fee by dying on the cross for our sins. Knocking on the door is not required. Repenting of sin and confessing Jesus as Lord is.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being the DOOR through whom I can enter heaven and live eternally.
Would you like to learn more about Jesus being the door to eternal life in Heaven? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 10 by clicking HERE.
Feast Your Eyes On This Crown
Throughout time, people have sat on thrones and worn diadems. Some leaders have worn their crowns well and brought honor to their people. Others have brought shame. The latter was the case with the chief tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Isaiah, the prophet.
In Isaiah 28:5, he contrasted the leaders who wore crowns of shame with the Lord Jehovah, saying, “In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people.”
Herbert Lockyer expounds on the Lord being a crown of beauty. “What a charming combination Isaiah gives us of Jehovah renowned for His luster and loveliness. A “crown of glory” is fitting for Him who is the “King of Glory,” and whose righteousness is “radiant with excess of glory” (2 Corinthians 3:9-11). In the crown, there sparkles His excellence, worth, sovereignty and glory. Truly, He is incomparable! In Jesus’ intercessory prayer, Jesus prayed that His God-given glory might adorn our lives (John 17:22).” 1
In our society where leaders are not always honorable, how wonderful that our king, the Lord God, is a crown of beauty.
Lord Jesus, crown of glory, DIADEM OF BEAUTY, I worship You.
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1 Copyright Herbert Lockyer, “All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible,” page 80, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975.
Show Me that You Love Me
Have you ever wished someone would do more than tell you they love you; they would show you? Romans 5:8 explains that is what God did when He sent Jesus to earth. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God demonstrated. He showed us His love. In addition, Jesus showed us His love by dying on the cross for our sins so we could live with Him in heaven. John 15:13 explains, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
If you have ever longed for someone to do more than tell you they love you, that they would show you, then your longing has been met. Your Heavenly Father and Jesus have shown you. They have demonstrated Their love.
Thank You, Almighty Lord, who DEMONSTRATES Your love by saving me. Help me to increasingly demonstrate Your love to others.
Would you like to learn more about how Jesus demonstrated His love for us as well as His command to love one another? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 13.
The One and Only Deliverer
Have you ever wished there was someone who could get you from one place to the next? Maybe you needed a ride because your car was in the shop. Or perhaps you longed for a promotion and hoped your boss could help you make a move.
Is the Lord interested in us moving from one place to another? Yes. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He taught them to pray, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). Deliver us. Rescue us. Take us from evil to holiness.
Jesus’ prayer is answered for all who call on Him for salvation, as Paul records in Colossians 1:13. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.” Deliver. Rescue. Take us from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s kingdom.
Jesus is the Deliverer whom David prophesied was to come (Psalm 14:7) and to whom Paul referred in Romans 11:26, “…The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
Jesus is our Deliverer from past, present, and future sin. He is our Deliverer from evil. He is our Deliverer from fears as David again testified. “I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
If you are looking for someone to deliver you from evil, deliver you from past, present, and future sin and deliver you from your fears, look no further than Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I praise You, my DELIVERER. Thank You for rescuing me from the domain of darkness, from evil, from sin, and from my fears. I love and worship You.
Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!
Are You A Delight to God?
Have you ever considered that the Heavenly Father delights in Jesus? Yes, Jesus is God’s delight, as Isaiah 42:1 points out: “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights.”
In a world full of evil, what a blessing it must be for the Heavenly Father to look at Jesus and say, “My soul delights in You.”
Reading that our Heavenly Father delights in Jesus stirs in me a longing for Him to delight in me, but I can’t imagine that being the case due to the fact I still sin.
Then again, could our Heavenly Father delight in us while not delighting in our sins? Yes. Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”
Our Heavenly Father has set His affection on us. He loved us before we were saved (John 3:16). Now that we are saved, He corrects us like a loving father corrects his children. So while celebrating God’s pure delight in Jesus, we can also mindfully learn what is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, in whom Your soul DELIGHTS. Help me be more mindful of how I can live so that You delight in me.
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A Good Reason to Follow the Owner’s Manual
Have you ever questioned the “why” behind God’s commands? If so, it helps to remember that God created us as Genesis 1:27 reminds us. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Our Creator knows what is best for us and what hurts us. Jesus’ commands such as those found in Matthew 6:34 not to worry and in Ephesians 4:31-32 to forgive and to put bitterness away from us are examples of our Creator’s instructions that serve our best interests. They help us have more peace, contentment, and joy.
What can happen if we, the creation, ignore our Creator’s ways? Romans 1:24-25 warns us. “God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”
God created us. His Word is our instruction manual; far more important than a car or appliance manual. If we want our life and relationship with Him and others to run smoothly, we’re wise to read and follow His instructions. How well are we following our Creator’s instructions?
Heavenly Father, CREATOR, forgive me for too often ignoring Your instructions. Awaken me to the importance of reading and following Your holy teachings.
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