An Attitude of Gratitude

Psalm 100:4-5: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18: "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

The Bible calls us to live gratefully. Psalm 100 urges us to enter God's presence with thanks, emphasizing His goodness, eternal love, and faithfulness.

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His Kingdom Come

We're living in one of the most divided times I've ever known, and I understand how challenging that can be. I often find myself wondering how I can follow Jesus wholeheartedly while still reaching out to those who see things very differently from me. 

Please know, I don’t have all the answers—none of us do— but each day, I draw comfort from Paul’s words to the Philippians: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Chr

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The Greatest Folly

The Psalmist states in Psalm 14:1, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good."

In the Bible, 'fool' (Hebrew: nabal) doesn't mean someone lacking intelligence. Instead, it refers to a person morally and spiritually deficient—living as if God has no influence. This is a "practical atheism".

The core issue is the declaration: "There is no God." It's not just an idea but a heart posture leading to law

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God’s Got You

The Psalmist David writes in Psalm 37:24—“though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

Life is full of twists, difficult paths, and obstacles. Psalmist David doesn't suggest that a righteous person's life will be free of "stumbles" or "falls" (Psalm 37:23). We are human, make mistakes, and face hardship.

Psalm 37:24 promises we're not immune to difficulty, but setbacks won't be final or fatal. We won't be "utterly cast down" or "hurled down"

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Never, Never, Never!

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and cis seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-3I’ve used this quote in previous devotionals, but it still rema

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Stand Firm

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." — Deuteronomy 31:6 Life presents 'giants' and fortified cities—difficult diagnoses, financial crises, conflicts, or stress of the unknown. These challenges can overwhelm, scare, and make us want to retreat.In our verse, Moses addresses the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land—a task their ancestors once feared

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Always Abiding

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” — Psalms 90:1This prayer verse, attributed to Moses, reminds us of God's eternal nature and our fleeting lives, emphasizing that true security and rest are only in Him, our constant refuge.Life is a journey of seeking a place to belong, safety, rest, and consistency. The irony for the Israelites in the wilderness, likely written by Moses, was that they had no permanent home, living in tents and moving under God's

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Make the Right Choice

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”With so many things demanding our time and attention, serving the LORD truly should not be overlooked by believers. In our passage, Joshua gently reminds us of a few important truths.One, there is the Necessity of...

Examine Yourself

2 Corinthians 13:5— "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test.This verse is a sharp, personal call to introspection. Paul isn't asking us to glance at our spiritual lives casually; he's challenging us to conduct a serious, honest audit of our hearts. The word "examine" is often used in the context of testing metals to see if the

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Obedient Rest

The Christian life is often seen as a continuous effort, a relentless push to accomplish more, improve ourselves, and follow every rule. However, Jesus paints a different picture in John 15. Instead of urging us to strive constantly, He invites us to simply abide. He calls us to a gentle, obedient rest that brings peace and connection.

To abide is to make our home in Christ. It’s a warm place of security and dependence, not a source of anxious effort. Think of a branch—no n

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Inching Toward God

God“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8When you hear ‘inching,’ you might think of sluggish movement or worms. The phrase “inching toward God” suggests slow progress, but the Bible’s invitation is about the direction and heart, not speed.We often feel a gap between our busy lives and God's holiness, thinking we must first clean up or act righteously. In reality, Jesus has already bridged that gap; His shed blood opened the way into God's presence.Jam...

Keep Moving Forward

Persecution occurred in Thessalonica as a group broke from social norms by adopting a radical new faith in Jesus instead of state-sanctioned idol worship. However, Jesus hadn’t returned as quickly as hoped. So, the apostle Paul was concerned by what he was hearing and wrote two letters to them.Paul had reason to be concerned, and so, in his letters, he writes to encourage the fledgling yet faithful community of believers, informing them that when faced with difficulties, a

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Be Prepared

My heart feels heavy, not because of the elections but because of their implications. Many Christians' heads are in the sand, but the Church has been under attack since its inception, even though we haven’t felt it as much in the States. I’m not fear-mongering, just reminding us of Biblical teachings that warn us to expect opposition and persecution for our faith.According to opendoors.org, over 380 million Christians face severe persecution and discrimination, mostly in I

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The Pull of Sin Winning the Race of Faith

The writer of Hebrews writes—“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”—Hebrews 12:1I know it's a cliché to say, but it's true: as believers, we are all in a race—a marathon of faith. Our finish line is our dwelling place with Jesus, and the path is marked out for us by God. But as we run, the pull of sin is a consta

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Cast Your Cares

It feels like we're hearing Paul's words more now than ever: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7Yesterday, I spoke from John 14:1-14, emphasizing that Jesus is our way, truth, and life—the antidote to fear. With the ongoing political season, many feel anxious, as if carrying a heavy backpack that weighs down our hearts and minds. We try to handle every scenario and 'what if' on our own. The Greek for "anxiety" means being pulled in multip

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