The Daily Devotional Blog

Do you know that it doesn't matter what comes your way, there is nothing that will stop you from having peace and blessings to do what the Lord told you to do? Do you believe it? Believe it. God has you here for a reason, so be encouraged in that and never give up. You are special to God and He is looking after you.  God is still on the throne and He cares and loves you. With Him, there are no obstacles or anything else that stands in the way of His ordered paths. So, stay faithful and committed to what you will do for yourself and for people. Continue to be the good and faithful servant that you are. You're going to make it.  John 16 :33 says,  "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  Consequently, no matter what's in front of you, peace and blessings are yours. Believe it.  

Proverbs 16 :3 says, "commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."  You know what that means, right? It means great things for you and I. It means that when our focus in on God, He will ensure we do what it is we were birthed to do. And get this, when we're doing what we were meant to do, then even when things don't go well 100% of the time, as long as God is in it, it will not fail and cannot fail. Why would God establish plans that fail? Wouldn't that be contradictory to who He is? " God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19). So there you have it. God will establish your plans. Have you made any plans? Do you have a vision for your life? If you do, then great, keep seeking Him for direction and details. And if you do not, that's ok, seek Him and He will establish them for you. There are spe...

Be encouraged in the Lord. Look up. Isaiah 40 :31  says, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  That means to hold on, God is with you. He hasn't left you. He is the light and will continue to be the light, so continue to do all you can to find your strength in Him. Continue to look towards the one who will direct our lives into His goodness and mercy. As we, "trust in the Lord with all our heart, and do not lean on our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will make our paths smooth and straight" ~Proverbs 3:5-6.  Look up towards heaven then you will see God. Be encouraged in the Lord. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. Remember that someone is thinking of you right now. God's spirit is always alive. God never misses anything.  "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God" (...

1 John 4:15 says, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.” There are so many reasons to love God, aren’t there? It's easy to love He who saved our souls. It's easy to love He who is love Himself. 1 John 4 :8-10 says,  "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." It's easy to love He who covers us when we can't even cover ourselves. It's easy to love He who loves the entire world. What an awesome blessing in that. It’s a blessing that you can be encouraged in knowing that God is filled with love and He loves you unconditionally. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do, He loves you. God is great. Hear what Sha Sha h...

Do you know God wants you to take everything you went through, to show people who He is? Do you know your testimony means something to somebody, and your life means something too? Do you know your struggles were not just for you, but to help people get through their pain? It's all to show people how God brought you out of despair and how He can and will bring others out of their low too. If you went through it, God has a bigger message for you to bring others through it too.  Yes you.  God wants to use you.  1 Peter 1:6 /7 says, " In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  In other words, God is the orchestrater of our lives and He wants us to be a model for Him forever....

Did you know that when you're in Christ, you have the heart of a champion? That means you can take maximum pressure and come right back after pressure. That means you can push yourself like an Olympic athlete and act as though it were no big deal -- business as usual. That's what Olympians and serious/professional athletes train for. That's why they train so hard. They know it will be a time when they will have to exercise much force and work to their maximum speed, strength, endurance, and stamina, physically, mentally, and emotionally. And if they're going to win the gold medal, the trophy, or the prize they can't sweat and give up and give in under the intense and magnified pressure. They're champions and they refuse to lose. Remember David, when he went against the giant, Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 ? David already knew he would win before the battle (or lack thereof), began. He trusted the Lord coming and going. He was a champion for Christ.  Dav...

Do you know that every time you say hallelujah you are saying some powerful words? And that you are giving high praise to the Lord? It’s a sign of being thankful for God. Psalm 150 :6 says,  "Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! " That means let us give glory and honor to the Lord for being who He is. Let us be thankful that we exist to be mighty and worthwhile in the world, because of Him. Let us encourage each other by our praise (admiration and gratitude to God) and worship (love, respect, bowing down, and prayer to Him). Praise and worship are important to God; beneficial to us; and inportant for us to impact others. David praised Him by dance ( 2 Samuel 6 :14) and Hannah worshipped Him by prayer ( 1 Samuel 2:1-10 ). They understood its significance and God (and man) took notice. So continue saying loving words to God — they bring us closer to Him as we flow in a posture of sincere thanks to Him.  Hallelujah .

Did you know that, because the Lord lives in you, you have the ability to be better, faster, and stronger? Which means you possess the power He’s given you, to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Yes, the Lord gives us superhuman strength like that when we ask Him to direct our paths. He makes things available to us that defy reason. You could say He sometimes does things that do not make sense to people. It's a supernatural thing. That's why He's God and we're not. That should make us grateful and thankful for  Proverbs 3 :5/6 , which says to  “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Those scriptures are reminders that we can trust in Him. And even though we may not understand everything, that's ok. If we will just lean on Him and acknowledge Him, then guess what He does? He makes the paths smooth as He directs them. How can anybody go wrong wi...

Did you know, “the Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives?” ( Psalm 37 :23). That's right. Put on those running shoes and tell the world, tell the devil, tell anybody, tell everybody, that you cannot and will not be stopped in doing everything the Lord has for you to do. Keep going, because every step counts when it is ordered by the Lord. It doesn’t matter how small. When you’re walking forward, you’re moving ahead with the goals and dreams God has for you. And if you get off track, it’s ok. All you have to do is change course, regroup, and start again. Isn’t God awesome? He never fails and whatever He told you, will come to pass. How do you know what He told you? What lives in your heart? What keeps burning in you to do? What is it that you want to do that will lead others to Jesus? What do you think about often? Those are some of the things that God has placed in you to do and as long as you don't grow weary and give up as...

It’s great when we know where our real strength and fortitude comes from, isn’t it? It’s great when we can put all of our trust in the One and only true God who will continually direct our paths and make them straight. That’s flying high with the Lord and it’s something everyone should experience.  When we fly high with the Lord. it doesn't matter what is in front if us. No obstacles or roadblocks matter. No impending challenges or distractions will be an issue, because they will not matter either. When God has us on the mission and assignment given only to those who run with it, nothing can get in the way. It’s a done deal. It’s faith in action (Hebrews 11:1). So keep flying high as you remember what God promised you He’d do. And remember, His promises never come back void (Isaiah 55:11).  You must stay in the race as you keep in mind that it doesn’t go to the swift. Stay with it and keep flying, because with God you can do anything and get through anything, ...

This goes out to all the people who haven't turned their backs on God. And it goes out to all the people who may have, but who still want to get it right. God loves us all. And remember, it's never too late with God. He is an eternal God who never sleeps. Isn't that awesome? His blessings are always present for anybody. That's something to rejoice about.  It's something to jump up and down about. Salvation means we're covered by His grace; saved by His blood.  Ephesians 1 :7 says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."  Isn't that also wonderful? That God has an open door for us to be covered by His grace, favor, and mercy. It doesn't matter what we've done, we're forgiven. He gave up so much for us that we can be covered and protected by calling Him Holy Father and meaning it. There is nobody else who has done that for anybody. It's a b...

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” ( Psalm 34 :18). That's another way of saying the Lord will revive our heart when needed. He is in the heart mending business just in case we need a heart change or a heart transplant. He's a miraculous God who will rejuvenate us in a heartbeat. Do you need Him for anything? Do you need help with a downcast heart? If so, today I've come to encourage you to stay in the race, to keep looking up, to continue to be optimistic, and to be faithful about your life. Some of us have been through more than the next person and some of us haven't. Yet we may all still hurt, because pain is pain and pain is painful. Some of us hurt deeper and longer, because the wounds went in pretty deep. Yet, the Lord is near us. The Lord saves us. That means the Lord God will revive your spirit and bring you back to life. Wake up mighty men. Wake up mighty women. Your blessing is coming and I'm not just...

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it ” ( 1 Corinthians 9:24 ).   I think most of us have heard the story of the tortoise and the hare, right? If not, you can access the childhood fable  here . In a nutshell, it's the story of two animals who raced each other. One was cocky and one was humble. The hare was the arrogant one who they both knew was faster than the tortoise. There was no denying that. The hare continued to brag and boast about how much faster he was over the tortoise and when the tortoise could take it no more, he agreed to challenge the hare. The race was on. The tortoise started out like any tortoise would, slow as a...well...a tortoise. And the hare decided that he would mess around and waste some time doing this and that. He knew there was no competition before him. Every now and then he would watch the tortoise from a distance and like any egotistical, he was co...

"Then he [Jesus] said to them, “watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" ( Luke 12 :15).  That verse was about the parable Jesus gave regarding a rich greedy fool. And although our circumstances may be much different than that of a rich fool, we may still desire to grow in the area of desiring the things we have no real use for.    Have you ever found yourself getting that extra something, you know you didn't need? Have you ever paid for something that you knew you couldn't afford? Have you ever gotten a second or maybe even a third helping of that good looking dish you know you should have stopped at a long time before? I know I have. Oh yes, I can identify with every one of those scenarios, because I've done each of them more than once. And I must admit I have been and I am still, sometimes greedy. Perhaps many of us are greedy in some areas of our lives, right? In this week's...

Some of you don't realize how pleased the Lord is with you. You're just trudging along and living your life for Him as you go about your business to get others to get on board. And sometimes you don't think you're doing enough for God. I'm here to tell you that, He is pleased. He is pleased with the people who didn't turn their backs when the going got "good" and the storm and battle were over. News flash. The battle is never over and the fat lady never sings ok? That means we have to always strive to do more, be more, and let others see God's light in us. Is it easy? You know my answer to that. No, it's not, but still we rise. 1 Thessalonians 4 speaks to living a life for Christ and it can indeed be a full, happy, and joyous life. God will ensure you experience those things. Know that. So, just in case you think no one understands your struggle, because you seem to be the only one standing for God. You're not the only on...

Respect the process. When we're in the thick of it, the process of getting to the next level, going higher, becoming all we can be, can be a tedious, never-ending series of ups and downs.  Yet, think about everyone you know who has achieved greatness. Was it easy? Was it fast? Was it time-consuming? Did they probably want to give up? More than likely, yes to all of those questions. Nevertheless, we have to respect the process of going to the next level in whatever area we want success to happen in. And no matter who we are, there is no way we're going to be successful without God. It doesn't matter what it looks like and who appears to be living large. Without God in our lives, forget about it, we're not really successful. Just know that God allows certain things from certain people and doesn't allow certain things from certain people. He's a God of order, decency, and excellence. He will have His way. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts...

What do you do during the "waiting" period? The waiting period is when God promises you something and it seems as though nothing is happening. You're grinding day in and day out. You're focused like never before. You're staying around all the positive things, people, and places. Yet it seems you're just going through the motions and no movement is happening.  I'm here to tell you, not to despair, not to grow weary, not to give up. God is working behind the scenes and He's organizing the right circumstances. He's making sure we are ready for the ride. And we in fact, want Him to ensure we're ready. That way we will have staying power when things get crazy (because some things will). He wants to ensure we can handle things well. He wants us to win so others will win -- blessed to be a blessing. So, stay in tune with the rhythm of the flow God has you in right now. And watch how quickly all that waiting pays off.  "Le...

Some doors open and some doors close. And we should be thankful. God will open the doors we need to walk through and close the ones that will be disastrous for us. It's wise to seek God in which ones we need to walk through. When we do that we can rest assured that God will only steer us in the best direction. We will be positioned nicely for greater opportunity and future success. Be led by God, not man, when it comes to the direction of your life, because once God opens a door, no man can shut it. To be more specific, when we are in tune with what God has for our lives and we wait patiently for him (which means grinding, working, and not trying to do things without God) then His words are clear: "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name ( Revelation 3 :8). When we acknowledge that, I think we will be in great sha...

One of the many awesome things of God is that He gives us waves of His blessings.  He's not a respecter of persons, which means He will use anyone He chooses to do His will. Just when it seems we're down to nothing, God is always up to something. He is always with us during the highs and lows of life. That's why we can never give up. It doesn't matter our past or present circumstances, God is in control. I know singer who is famous. She grinded and hit the pavement for years and nothing was happening for her. After much discouragement and rejection she was just about to give up on her dream of getting a record deal. She had done just about all she could and things still weren't working out for her. Then finally a record deal came through. She was ecstatic, but only for a moment. A few short weeks later the record label had changed their mind about her, because they didn't think she was the right fit. As you could imagine, she was devastated. She...

Do you know God is with you? It's true. It may sometimes seem you're alone, but you're never alone. He walks with us all the time. The question is, do we walk with Him? If we do, then our walk, our burdens, our life, becomes easier to bare. We know certain things in life are challenging. Yet we must stay centered on keeping Christ first in our life no matter how difficult things get. At some point in everybody's life, struggle will come and no one is immune. Life will happen to every soul on this earth. That's a fact and since that's the case, then why not have a companion by our side every second of the day? Doesn't it make sense to do that?  Anybody can walk with God, because He gives us what is called free-will to walk in His righteousness. That means we are free to make our own decisions and God will let us. I don't know about you, but I rather have Him direct my paths than go at it alone. With Him ordering my steps, it doesn't mean ...

Have you ever found yourself not caring about what happens in your life? Do you have that feeling of what will be, will be? Do you feel as though you have no control over your circumstances, because the plan for your life is a dire strait? Do you feel yourself simply going through the motions, because you couldn't care less? Well, I'm here to tell you that that state of apathy has got to flee. That state of apathy will get off of you, because God has much more for your life. Believe that. In last week's podcast episode, I discussed overcoming fear, the second session or chapter in Bill Hybels' book, Living in God's Power, Finding God's Strength for Life's Challenges . I am doing a 7 week book study on Hybels' book. The book study discusses the ways in which we can go about getting to the next level in what God has for our lives. Last week's episode also talked about what Hybels says about getting over fear. He said, if we are operating in fe...

“Comfort, comfort my people,”   says your God " ( Isaiah 40 :1). Did you know,  God " gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:29) ? Oh yes, and if he does that, that means there is no reason to be down and to stay down. Lift your head up. Yes, there are things going on that are challenging and it may seem like God is not there, it may seem like He doesn't hear us or see us. But let me tell you, God is aware of our needs, all of them and when it seems we're on the brink of shouting, " Lord  help me!", He is right there. He was all along. He won't ever leave the people who love, praise, and worship Him in spirit and truth. And He’s also there for the people who don’t. God loves everyone. God is love. Every last one of His promises will come true when we continue to seek Him in all our ways and as we continue to understand and respect that He is God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Believe that.  God is th...

"Never give up. Never give up! Never give up!! Never, never, never-never-never-never!'"  ~Winston Churchill.  "Without commitment, people give up easily; they have no staying power at all. If you want to be one who never gives up, commitment is the key"  ~Joyce Meyer,  Never Give Up!  (p. 109) If you are an avid reader of my blog, you will see a common thread among the majority of my posts and that is simply, to stay in the race, push through the pain, be determined to be determined, and know that God has a plan for your life. None of us are here by accident. God is not a God of accidents. He is a purposeful and strategic God. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is the Starter and the Finisher. Revelation 1 :8 says,  He is the   Alpha and the Omega. He is the Almighty God who can do anything and everything, including direct you and your life. Feeling weak? He is your strength. Feeling sad? He is your joy. Feeling discouraged? ...

Just in case you may be thinking nobody knows what you're going through or just in case you're thinking nobody understands, I'm here to tell you, that the Lord is bringing you Good News.  Psalm 34 :18 says, "t he Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."  He never leaves His children and never casts them aside. It doesn't matter what happened. He is near. Please know that and keep loving Him. And realize that you are not reading these words at this point in time for nothing. They are a message to you, to hang on and reassurance that the Lord is with you right now. That's another way of saying the Lord is continuously with us, especially during those times when we need Him most. He's a miraculous God who can and will do whatever it is we need Him to do. Do you need Him for anything? If so, today I've come to encourage you to be encouraged, to keep looking up, to continue to be faithful about your life, and know that t...

Look towards the sky, because God lives there and there’s light there. God helps us see, so always look up, especially if you’re down. And remember, joy comes in the morning.   So if it seems like there's a lot coming at you, if it seems you take one step forward and have to take two back, look up regardless. You’re going to make it. That’s a promise from God.  “Cast all your cares/anxiety on him because he cares for you” ( 1 Peter 5 :7). Therefore, look high and cast your cares only on Him, the Lord, because He cares for you. That's enough to rejoice and be glad about. Your faith will make you well. And your faith will make it so that God will position you to take five steps forward with no steps back. That's what looking towards the sky — towards heaven does. You’re going to make it.