August 3

During a recent church service, I watch some lives change before my eyes. My friend has been fervently praying for her family. She’s been watching Bible prophecy unfold before her eyes, as many of us have, and has a great fear of her family being left behind. When she walked in, I saw that she had her husband with her who has a fear of crowds, and her daughter, I’d never met either of them. She also had her son and daughter in law with her who are part of our church. My friend is very expressive and without saying a word, I could read her face. It expressed, shock, and overwhelming joy, and that was just because they came with her. Before the evening was over, her husband had stood up before the church and gave a short testimony and her daughter had accepted Jesus as her Savior. Her tears flowed uncontrollably. This is a prime example of praying with faith without doubting. And she wondered why the enemy had targeted her! Obviously it was because her relentless prayer would be part of the reason the rest of her family would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. My friends, pray without doubting. Our God can do amazing things and sometimes it happens unexpectedly. 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8

August 2

I had the opportunity to speak in front of my church last night. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a writer and speaking in front of a crowd is not in my nature. The Holy Spirit gave me a message over a week ago and I worked on perfecting it until last night. The bad thing about doing it that way is that what I wrote becomes a crutch and I can’t get away from the words on the page. Lacking confidence, I decided to go to the church earlier in the day to practice and to become comfortable with my surroundings. Sometimes you think that God has you walking through something like this for one reason, like stepping out of your comfort zone; then you realize that it wasn’t about that at all! It wasn’t about getting up in front of the church, or breaking out of my comfort zone, though I’m sure there was a purpose for that too. It was about God drawing my attention to a community of people who lovingly encouraged me and blessed me with their prayer. I’m so grateful that He has given me a family of believers where I can love and be loved. If you do not have a church family, you need to actively pursue finding one!

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42

August 1

My friend Edgar DeJesus said in a sermon, “Wisdom is the application of knowledge.” That struck something within me, so I wrote it down. Years ago, before I started writing these devotionals, I was reading the book of James and ran across the verse that says, if you lack wisdom, just ask for it. So I prayed that prayer, several times, I still pray that prayer. Now years later, I can see that He has answered it! I couldn’t write these if He hadn’t. God has taken my study to a different level and shows me His word coming to life every day. If you’re not studying the Bible, how do you expect God to teach you to apply the knowledge you’re not getting? On the other hand, why study and never put it into practice? It’s like going to college to become a doctor, but never working in that field. If you want wisdom, ask for it! Then do your part by digging into the Word of God and learn His way and He will pour out His wisdom upon you.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

July 31

I just began a study of the book of James. The words are beautifully arranged, but will cut straight through to the heart. It’s easy to read, but a single verse can impact your whole day. Just after the greeting in verse two, James tells you to be happy that you’re facing trials! What the heck!! I’m not happy I’m going through trials of various kinds! To count it all joy, which to me is beyond happiness and more like jubilance or jumping around in excitement, seems insane! This guy must have had too much wine! All kidding aside, God allows us to go through trials to burn off the dross. He is purifying us like gold. Why does He do that? Because we are precious to Him and He wants us to be able to stand strong during any challenges we may face. The reason we should be joyful is because God does not send His weakest warriors into battle, or the ones He knows will cave to the wiles of the devil, but the ones He knows are battle ready and armored up. If you take a pounding now, you will regain your strength and be more fierce and ready for the next round! Every blow the devil takes at your hand is a reason to be joyful!

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

July 30

You are good enough. Many have been told their entire life that they aren’t good enough. You’re too young, too old, not skilled, uneducated, too tall, too short, too pretty, too ugly, the list goes on. In God’s kingdom, none of those things matter. All God wants from you is for you to accept His son as savior, to love Him, and to love others. When you get those simple things placed at the top of your list, the rest will fall into order. It doesn’t matter what others think of you. You don’t have to fit into some cookie cutter image to be accepted into the kingdom. God loves you just as you are, and He uses the most unlikely people to bring about change in others. When you ask Him if you can help, He says yes! You are important! You are worthy! You are exactly what He’s been looking for! He welcomes you with open arms and will satisfy your every need, if you let Him.

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? John 2:5

July 29

All of us have been rejected at some point in our lives. The pain felt in our hearts because of that rejection can last a lifetime if you let it. You are not alone in your brokenness, though I’m sure that doesn’t make you feel any better. Just being a Christian subjects you to rejection! But God, in His great love for us, feels our pain, and His heart breaks for us like most fathers when they see their child hurt. Our Heavenly Father is not like any other, His love is beyond what any of us could possibly imagine. He accepts us and if we go to Him, He will never turn us away. So, today if you are feeling hurt or rejected, turn to Jesus, He will never leave you or forsake you. You can count on His love to get you through even your most trying times. With Jesus you are accepted.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37

July 28

I have potted plants flanking the entry to my home. As I was walking by, I decided to check to see if they needed water. One of the plants holds water like a cup, when I looked inside I saw a frog who had made it his own personal hiding place and swimming pool. Even though it’s one of those slimy tree frogs, and it freaks me out when they try to jump on me, it is beneficial because it’s probably eating the mosquito larvae that can live inside the plant. The Bible says that all things are permissible, but not everything is beneficial. It was talking about eating meat that was sacrificed to idols as the example. In my situation the frog is both permissible and beneficial. That’s not the case with my friend, she is terrified of frogs. When she comes to visit, I will have to make that frog vacate his home. The point is, your conduct should not lead anyone astray or affect the conscience of someone else. Your conscience will be clear, but if it causes someone else to stumble, don’t do it. That frog would cause my friend to get hurt. That’s the point of this; you don’t want to cause someone else to sin or be hurt because of your actions.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

July 27

We’ve had such heavy humidity that the windows are fogged up and dripping everyday. A couple of days ago, I noticed that these weird circles had formed on a couple of the windows. What in the world! I’m not sure how they got there because we have screens on them. It’s not like someone came by and drew them on there, if they had, someone would have seen them milling around my house. So I looked it up online and interestingly, someone else had noticed similar circles on their windows. What I found out was, it may have been the suction cups used to install them. Could the marks still be there after 15 years? Maybe? It makes me think that the windows have never been cleaned! I’ve never cleaned them myself, but I haven’t been here that long. This is a good lesson for all of us. Just because you look clean and polished it doesn’t mean you will stay looking that way. Something that has made an impression on you tends to show up when things get heavy. Pay attention to your reactions when you are under stress or pressure - those are the things you need to work on and clean up. 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

July 26

The book of Hebrews is rich with explanations. Why did Jesus have to die to save us? Or, maybe you’ve never thought about why the Bible is divided into The Old Testament and the New Testament. There may be other people that are able to cover this more thoroughly than I can, but this makes perfect sense to me. More often than not, rich people and some who are poor that have something valuable to leave, prepare a last will and testament to help procure the distribution of their valuables upon their death. As long as they are alive, their will can be changed, revoked or altered. If a receiver of the valuables makes an enemy of the one making the will, they could lose their inheritance. The will is not set in stone until the one who made the testament is dead. So, the New Testament is the last will and testament of our Savior Jesus Christ! In order for it to go into effect, He had to die. I would go on to say that those who die without accepting their portion of their inheritance, which is eternal life, lose - big time!

 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Hebrews 9:16-17

July 25

This is how good God is, He doesn’t want you to suffer from a guilty conscience. I’ve been doing a lite study of Hebrews, and the writer is trying to make it clear that the temple and the sacrificial offerings that were required of Israel, were all symbolic. It was a living example of what was to come. One of the points that He stresses is that they were all human based and that the only way to truly clear your conscience is through the sacrificial offering of Jesus. Though He was of human flesh, He is God, and there was no purer blood. Only His blood can completely wash away your sin. If you are still feeling guilty over an action you took, it’s time for you to give it over to Jesus, once and for all. Stop carrying it around! He wants you to be free of it. There are too many people out there who don’t know Jesus and are suffering from guilt, and they need to know that it’s possible to live without it. If you, who know Jesus, are still carrying around your past, how are you going to convince anyone to trust Jesus?

(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, Hebrews 9:9

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:14

July 24

Life is ever changing. One minute everything seems perfect and then the next minute you are in turmoil. Even this morning, as I sat with the sun blazing in the sky at what seemed like a glorious, sunny day, I watched and within minutes a storm rolled in, the sky became gray and thunder began to rumble. Things are never the same, but they’re never different either; in the sense that we expect life to change, but we are never ready for it. This is why we need our Savior, He is unchanging. We don’t have to worry whether He woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We don’t have to wonder when the next shoe will drop because He’s the same yesterday and today, and He will be the same tomorrow. People change, Jesus does not! Though you may not be able to count on the person next to you to always be there, you can count on our Savior. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. Rest easy in that promise today. He is our Rock when storms begin to roll!

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

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrew 13:8

July 23

Do you look at your senior pastor and think that he is the only person who can help you because God has given him a special gift? I used to think like that. It’s true that God has given pastors a gift, probably many gifts, but He has also given gifts to those who are not in the pulpit every Sunday. In my church, we have a women’s group that meets once a month, but between our meetings, we see one another at church and other functions and through social media. I love seeing these women gathering around to lift up a sister in Christ in prayer; it is so beautiful! We all have things we struggle with, and need others that we can count on to help us battle a real enemy whose attacks are relentless. So, the next time you feel like you need to run to your pastor for support, look around, there are others who have a heart to minister. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to your pastor, but they can be very busy, and if there is someone else, reach out to them. Remember that He has commissioned all of us to serve the saints.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10

July 22

Waking up at 2:30 in the morning and not being able to go back to sleep easily, is frustrating. Every problem that I have came to mind and was rehashed over and over again. I prayed every prayer I could think of, quoted scripture, and begged God to help me go back to sleep. Eventually, I did, but morning came all too quickly and the lack of sleep made me sluggish and tired. We need our rest to function properly, but sleeping in the sense that you are not giving respect and honor to the Lord by being watchful, will not serve you well. Our time here on earth is short and we need to be vigilant and stay awake and aware. Seeing what is going on all over the world, we can be sure our Savior will be returning soon to gather the crops. Weeds are growing rapidly and the separation of the wheat from the tares seems imminent. Be on your guard, hold on to what you have, He is coming soon.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

July 21

Most of my yard is situated in the shade. The trees give a wonderful covering and protection from the harsh rays of the sun. The grass and trees need full sun to thrive, but there are many plants that need the light filtered so they are not burnt by the overpowering sunlight. The area under the shade is more humid because the sun doesn’t dry it out as fast, so my plants like the orchids and bromeliads thrive in this type of environment. These types of plants would dry up and wither in the full sun. We are like the orchids and bromeliads and Jesus is like the trees, our protection from the full sun and mighty power of God. In the Old Testament, God warned Moses that no one has seen His face and lived, so He had Him hide in the cleft of a rock as He passed by. He needed to be shielded from His power. Jesus acts as the shield or covering between us and God. He is our high priest. Like the trees that shade my garden, Jesus filters the light of God’s glory as a protective barrier, and we thrive under His care.

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Hebrews 7:25-26

July 20

The neighbor’s dog started barking this morning, and as soon as my dogs heard her, they decided that they needed to chime in. They have no idea what she’s barking about, yet they feel compelled to voice their opinion. It was like dog gossip! Does this sound familiar? We see this a lot in the television news; I especially love when they show clips where the reporters from every station are using the exact same words and phrases. Their credibility is completely diminished and they are nothing more than talking heads. What about you? Do you tell slanderous stories or share gossiping post? The Bible has a lot to say about that! It says - don’t do it! It also says: don’t associate with a gossip, keep your lips from speaking deceit, malign no one, if you don’t bridle your tongue your religion is worthless, and many more. It also called it an abomination to the Lord! You thought it was just innocent conversation, but it turns out that it’s an abomination! If you don’t stoke the fire or add more wood, it will go out.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

July 19

There is a tree in my neighbor's yard that has a huge branch that needs to be removed. It has a cavity in two different places and has been determined by an arborist that it is in imminent danger of falling. The homeowner knows about the limb, but in his uneducated opinion, he thinks it’s strong and will continue to thrive and doesn’t want to remove it. It is not a financial issue for him, it’s aesthetics. I wonder how many of us hang onto habits and sins that are in imminent danger of hurting ourselves or others just because we think it looks good? When we hurt ourselves, it will hurt others. What do you need to give up to help preserve your life? Just like the tree needs to be pruned to help give it a chance to live a long life, we must be willing to let things go that are detrimental to our health and spiritual well being. Do a quick survey of yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to light any unhealthy issue that you might be hanging onto; then allow Him to prune you.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:1-2

July 18

When exploring different aspects of the Christian life, you must consider that you are going to be a target of attacks. This is especially true if you are heading in the direction God wants you to go. If you’re doing what the enemy wants you to do, he leaves you to handle your own demise. Once you decide to turn away from the way of the enemy, the attacks begin. This also happens during a promotion, when God is moving you to a new level. Like my pastor says “new levels, new devils.” These attacks can come from anywhere, even your most trusted friends. The enemy doesn’t discriminate and will even use another Christian. Remember when Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that He must go the Jerusalem and be killed? Jesus quickly called him out saying “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me.” So don’t think that the only people Satan uses is your enemies. No, he can and will use well meaning people as His mouthpiece to throw you off. Stand strong! If you’re armored-up, you won’t be rattled. Remember that they are your friend, so don’t be too hard on them.

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Matthew 16:23

July 17

I’ve been a hard worker all of my life, but now that I’m older, I’ve decided that getting filthy from head to toe and straining myself to do things in my yard is no longer something I wish to do. That’s why I moved into a townhome complex, so someone else could handle all the things that I was once in charge of. Whether I like it or not, sometimes I have to do that very thing. We are having new sod put in our yard, and the ground needs to be prepared and guess who gets to do it? Yours truly! I worked myself to the point of nearly passing out - it’s just too hot out there! Don’t get me wrong, I love all my plants and doing minor trimming and replacing or adding new ones, but the back breaking labor is no longer one of my desires. As we get older we begin to realize what’s truly important to us and change to do what our heart desires. If you’ve set your eyes on Jesus, His desires become your own. Though we have to work hard in this life, if we set our minds toward Jesus, He will fill a void, our needs will change, and we will become what He wants us to be. Set your eyes on Jesus, He should be our ultimate desire.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. Psalms 63:1-3

July 16

Sometimes I wonder what God is doing. I look at my situation and have to consider that maybe He’s guiding me into a new direction. So last summer, I didn’t get to spend much time in my island paradise because my husband was building some homes. This year, we’ve been a couple of times only to be run off by the red tide, which makes us both sick. The last time I was out on my paddle board was in January and I was anxious to get out on the water again. I trudged through the mud and dead fish in the mangrove to launch, hoping the water would clear up as I paddled out a little ways. Much to my disappointment, it was just more of the same, a murky cesspool of death. Is God using this to move me? Maybe. I must consider that God has a hand in this and a change may need to be made. You must be observant in the circumstances of your life; Satan may not be the one pulling the strings. God can and will use situations to move you in the direction He’s called you to for His purpose.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Psalms 119:71-71

July 15

My heart breaks for the people who see evil as good and good as evil. Though our earthly life is short, our soul will go on into eternity, and these people are in jeopardy of having their souls live eternally in the flames of hell. It seems to be getting worse. The rebellion against God and everything godly, and anyone who calls God their Father, is at a fever pitch. In a country founded on Christian beliefs and freedom to speak, many dare not mention the name of Jesus publicly without fear of retribution. The reason for this is that they don’t want to feel shame for their sin, so if they make bad behavior out to be good, then their bad behavior will not be looked upon as bad. They are right where the enemy wants them to be, especially if they are celebrated and have a soap box to stand on. Then they can spew their evil thoughts on television and social media in the hopes that good people may hear it and turn away from God. Minds are so twisted now that many don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Stand strong children of God! Don’t fall for the lies of Satan! Jesus is coming soon!

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Revelation 3:11