In His strength we need to stop our doubts or worries and put our focus on Him

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Saturday, April 27, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[In His strength we need to stop our doubts or worries and put our focus on Him]

PULL THE WEEDS OF WORRY

Scripture reading:

Matthew 13:3-8 – [Jesus] He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen!  A farmer went out to plant some seeds.  As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.  Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock.  The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.  But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.  Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.  Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

Matthew 13:18-23 – “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it.  Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.  The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long.  They fall away soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.  The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.  The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Today’s story is by:  Katara Patton

[They hear] the word, but the worries of this life . . . choke the word.  –Matthew 13:22

After burying a few seeds in a planter in my backyard, I waited to see the results.  Reading that the seeds would sprout within ten to fourteen days, I checked often as I watered the soil.  Soon I saw a few green leaves pushing their way out of the soil.  But my bubble burst quickly when my husband told me those were weeds.  He encouraged me to pull them quickly so that they wouldn’t choke the plants I was trying to grow.

Jesus also told of the importance of dealing with intruders that can impede our spiritual growth. . .  Thorns, or weeds, will do just that to plants—stop their growth (v. 22).  And worry will surely stunt our spiritual growth.  Reading Scripture and praying are great ways to grow our faith, but I’ve found I need to watch out for the thorns of worry.  They’ll “choke” the good word that has been planted in me, making me focus on what could go wrong.

The fruit of the Spirit, found in Scripture, includes such things as love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22¹).  But in order for us to bear that fruit, in God’s strength we need to pull any weeds of doubt or worry that may distract us and cause us to focus on anything other than Him.

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– How is God helping you grow the seeds He’s planted within you?

– How can you pull the weeds of worry?

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, please remind me to pull weeds often, discarding worry and deceitful thoughts so I may grow and bear fruit in You.

Scripture reference:

¹) The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us.  The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ.  They are the by-products of Christ’s control—we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help.  If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to His.  We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him.  As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law—to love God and our neighbors.  Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you?  (NLT)

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!

https://odb.org/2024/04/27/pull-the-weeds

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

As He leads and empowers us, we can accomplish much more than we could ever do on our own

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Friday, April 26, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[As He leads and empowers us, we can accomplish much more than we could ever do on our own]

SERVING TOGETHER IN JESUS

Scripture reading:

The Philippians shared in Paul’s financial support while he was in prison.  (NLT)

Philippians 4:14-20 – Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia.  No other church did this.  Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.  I don’t say this because I want a gift from you.  Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

At the moment I have all I need—and more I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus.  They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.  And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever!  Amen.

Today’s story is by:  Jennifer Benson Schuldt

You sent me aid more than once when I was in need.  –Philippians 4:16

Rescue workers cooperated to help three men stranded on an island in Micronesia.  Teamwork was necessary because a widespread health crisis required them to limit their exposure to each other.  The pilot who first spotted the castaways radioed a nearby Australian Navy ship.  The ship sent two helicopters which provided food, water, and medical care.  Later, the US Coast Guard arrived to check on the men and deliver a radio.  Finally, a Micronesian patrol boat taxied them to their destination.

We can accomplish a lot when we work together.  The Philippian believers pooled their efforts to support the apostle Paul.  Lydia and her family welcomed him into their home (Acts 16:13-15¹).  Clement and even Euodia and Syntyche (who didn’t get along) all worked directly with the apostle to spread the good news (Philippians 4:2-3²).  Later, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, the church gathered essentials for a care package and delivered it via Epaphroditus (v. 14-18).  Perhaps most importantly, the Philippians prayed for him throughout his ministry (1:19³).

The examples of believers serving together in this ancient church can inspire us today.  Cooperating with fellow believers to pray and serve others as God leads and empowers us accomplishes much more than we could ever do on our own.  It has been said, “Individually, we are one drop.  Together we are an ocean.”

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– When have you served well with other believers in Jesus?

– What’s the basis for the spiritual bond you share with them?

Prayer: Dear God, please show me how to join with others who are serving You.

Scripture reference:

¹) Acts 16:13-15 – On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.  One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God.  As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests.  “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.”  And she urged us until we agreed.

²) Philippians 4:2-3 – Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche.  Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.  And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.  They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

³) Paul’s prayer is that God would cause the cardinal Christian virtue of love to abound more and more . . . so that the Philippians’ love would find expression in wise actions that would truly benefit others and glorify God.  (ESV)

Philippians 1:9 – And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment

https://odb.org/2024/04/26/serving-together-2

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

He is our helper; be faithful to Him throughout our entire lives

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Thursday, April 24, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[He is our helper; be faithful to Him throughout our entire lives]

GOD IS MY HELPER

Scripture reading:

Caleb was faithful from the start.  As one of the original scouts sent into the Promised Land, he saw great cities and giants, yet he knew God would help the people conquer the land.  Because of Caleb’s faith, God promised him a personal inheritance of land.  Here 45 years later, the land was given to him.  Caleb’s faith was still unwavering.  Although his inherited land still had giants, Caleb knew the Lord would help him conquer them.  Like Caleb, we must be faithful to God, not only at the start of our walk with Him, but throughout our entire lives.  We must never allow ourselves to rest on our past accomplishments or reputations.  (NLT)

Joshua 14:6-12 – A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal.  Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea.  I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan.  I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land.  For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.  So that day Moses solemnly promised me.  ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’

“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness.  Today I am eighty-five years old.  I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.  So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me.  You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled town.  But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

Today’s story is by: Arthur Jackson

The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  –Hebrews 13:6

My friend Raleigh is sprinting toward his eighty-fifth birthday!  Since my first conversation with him more than thirty-five years ago, he’s been a source of inspiration.  When he recently mentioned that since retiring he’d completed a book manuscript and started another ministry initiative—I was intrigued but not surprised.

At eighty-five, Caleb in the Bible wasn’t ready to stop either.  His faith and devotion to God had sustained him through decades of wilderness living and wars to secure the inheritance God had promised Israel.  He said, “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out . . .” (Joshua 14:11).  By what means would he conquer?  Caleb declared that by “the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said” (v. 12).

Regardless of age, stage in life, or circumstances, God will help all who wholeheartedly trust Him.  In Jesus, our Savior who helps us, God was made visible.  The Gospel books inspire faith in God through what we see in Christ.  He demonstrated God’s care and compassion for all who looked to Him for help.  As writer of Hebrews acknowledge, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” (Hebrews 13:6).  Young or old, weak or strong, bound or free, sprinting or limping—what’s keeping us from asking for His help today?

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– Who has inspired your faith in God?

– How do you see God as your source of help in all things?

Prayer: Almighty God, please help me to see You as my source of help in all circumstances.

https://odb.org/2024/04/25/god-is-my-helper

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

A spiritual gift is given to each of us, but His Spirit is the source of all gifts

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[A spiritual gift is given to each of us, but His Spirit is the source of all gifts]

UNITED DIVERSITY IN CHRIST

Scripture reading:

Paul argued for diversity of gifts and acceptance of the full range of gifts that God gives to His people.  No one should feel superior about his or her gift; instead, all should use their gifts to willingly serve.  Too often the “up-front” gifts, like speaking or teaching, are more highly regarded than the “behind-the-scenes” gifts, like helping and serving.  No one should discount the contribution of another person, no matter how insignificant it may seem.   We should not be dissatisfied with the gift God has given us but be eager to serve.  Nor should we envy those who seem to have more gifts than we do.  In love, treat everyone’s gift, yours included, as valuable to God.  (NLT)

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 – The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  So it is with the body of Christ.  Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.  But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

1 Corinthians 12:21-27 – The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.”  The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.  And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care.  So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care.  So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.  This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.  If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Today’s story is by: Monica La Rose

God has placed the parts in the body . . . just as he wanted them to be.  –1 Corinthians 12:18

In his essay “Service and the Spectrum,” Professor Daniel Bowman Jr. writes of the difficulty of navigating decisions about how to serve his church as an autistic person.  He explains, “Autistic people have to forge a new path forward every single time, a unique path that takes into account . . . mental, emotional, and physical energy . . . alone/recharging time; sensory inputs and comfort level . . . time of day; whether or not we’re being valued for our strengths and accommodated for our needs rather than excluded for perceived deficits; and much more.”  For many people, Bowman writes such decisions, “While reorienting people’s time and energy, likely will not undo them.  Those same decisions might well undo me.”

Bowman believes that the vision of mutuality Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12 could be a healing solution.  There, in verses 4-6¹, Paul describes God uniquely gifting each of His people for “the common good” (v. 7).  Each is an “indispensable” member of Christ’s body (v. 22).  When churches come to understand each person’s unique, God-given wiring and gifting, instead of pressuring everyone to help in the same way, they can support their members to serve in ways that fit their giftings.

In this way, each person can find flourishing and wholeness and be secure in their valued place in Christ’s body (v. 26).

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– How have you been blessed by others’ unique gifts?

– How can churches encourage diverse ways to serve?

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for creating us all uniquely.  Please help me to value every member of Christ’s body.

Scripture reference:

¹) 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.  God works in different way, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

²) 1 Corinthians 12:7 – A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

https://odb.org/2024/04/24/united-diversity

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

We can claim His peace in our most troublesome times

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[We can claim His peace in our most troublesome times]

JESUS—THE TRUE PEACEMAKER

Scripture reading:

Jesus summed up all He had told them this night, tying together themes from John 14:27-29¹; John 16:1-4²; and John 16:19-11³.  With these words He told His disciples to take courage.  In spite of the inevitable struggles they would face, they would not be alone.  Jesus does not abandon us to our struggles either.  If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been win.  We can claim the peace of Christ in the most troublesome times.

John 16:25-33 – [Jesus said] “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.  Then you will ask in my name.  I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.  Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”

Then the disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively.  Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you.  From this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe?  But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone.  Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.  I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Today’s story is by: Winn Collier

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  –John 16:33

On December 30, 1862, the US Civil War raged.  Union and Confederate troops camped seven hundred yards apart on opposing sides of Tennessee’s Stones River.  As they warmed themselves around campfires, Union soldiers picked up their fiddles and harmonicas and began playing “Yankee Doodle.”  In reply, the Confederate soldiers offered “Dixie.”  Remarkably, both sides joined for a finale, playing “Home, Swee Home” in unison.  Sworn enemies shared music in the dark night, glimmers of an unimagined peace.  The melodic truce was short-lived, however.  The next morning, they put down their fiddles and picked up their rifles, and 24,645 soldiers died.

Our human efforts to create peace inevitably wear thin.  Hostilities cease in one place, only to ignite somewhere else.  One relational dispute finds harmony, only to be embroiled in distress again months later.  The Scriptures tells us that God is our only trustworthy peacemaker.  Jesus said it plainly, “In me you . . . have peace” (John 16:33).  We have peace in Jesus.  While we participate in His peacemaking mission, it’s God’s reconciliation and renewal that make real peace possible.

Christ tells us we can’t escape conflict.  “In this world [we] will have trouble,” Jesus says.  Strife abounds.  “But take heart!”  He adds, “I have overcome the world” (v. 33).  While our efforts often prove futile, our loving God (v. 27) makes peace in this fractious world.

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– Where do you see humans working for peace?

– How is God’s peacemaking different?

Prayer: Dear God, please show me the way of peace.

Scripture reference:

¹) John 14:27-29 – [Jesus said] “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.  Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.  If you really loved me.  You would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.  I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”

²) John 16:1-4 – [Jesus said] “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.  For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.  This is because they have never known the Father or me.  Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning.  I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.”

³)  John 16:9-11 – [Jesus said] “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.  Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”

https://odb.org/2024/04/23/the-true-peacemaker

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

We are to enjoy His gift of companionship with Him in the center

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Monday, April 22, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[We are to enjoy His gift of companionship with Him in the center]

COMMUNITY IN CHRIST

Scripture reading:

Cooperating with others has advantages.  Life is designed for companionship, not isolation, for intimacy, not loneliness.  Some people prefer isolation, thinking they cannot trust anyone.  We are not here on earth to serve ourselves, however, but to serve God and others.  Don’t isolate yourself and try to go it alone.  Seek companions; be a team member.  (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 – I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun.  This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can.  But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for?  Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?”  It is all so meaningless and depressing.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.  Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm.  But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Today’s story is by:  Karen Pimpo

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  –Ecclesiastes 4:12

“I knew that the only way to succeed was to forget about home and my wife, son, and daughter,” said Jordon.  “I’ve found I can’t do that.  They’re woven into the fabric of my heart and soul.”  Alone in a remote area, Jordon was participating in a reality show where contestants are asked to survive outdoors with minimal supplies for as long as possible.  What forced him to forfeit was not the grizzly bears, freezing temperatures, injury, or hunger, but an overwhelming loneliness and desire to be with his family.

We might have all the survival skills necessary for the wilderness, but separating ourselves from community is a sure way to fail. . .  Christ-honoring community, even with all its messiness, is essential to our thriving.  We don’t stand a chance against the trials of this world if we try to tackle them on our own.  Someone who toils alone, toils in vain (v. 8). . .  The gift of a loving, Christ-focused community is one that not only provides encouragement, but also gives us strength to thrive despite challenging situations.  We need each other.

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– How can you commit to spending time with the family of believers?

– Who around you is isolated and in need?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of community!  Open my heart to love and spend time with others today.

https://odb.org/2024/04/22/strength-in-numbers

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

Bitter consequences of guilt, fear, and sin can end up ruining our lives and reputations

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Sunday, April 21, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[Bitter consequences of guilt, fear, and sin can end up ruining our lives and reputations]

BITTERNESS OF STOLEN SWEETS

Scripture reading:

Proverbs 20:11-17 – Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

Ears to hear and eyes to see—both are gifts from the Lord.

If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.  Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!

The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” then brags about getting a bargain!

Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies.

Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.  Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.

Stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth.

Today’s story is by:  Marvin Williams

Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.  –Proverbs 20:17

Thieves in Germany stole a truck’s refrigerated trailer filled with more than twenty tons of chocolate.  The estimated worth of the stolen sweetness was $80,000.  Local police asked anyone who was offered large quantities of chocolate via unconventional channels to report it immediately.  Surely those who stole the massive amount of sweets will be facing bitter and unsatisfying consequences if they’re caught and prosecuted!

Proverbs confirms this principle . . . (20:17).  Things we acquire deceptively or wrongfully may seem to be sweet at first—seasoned with excitement and temporary enjoyment.  But the flavor will eventually wear off and our deception will lead to our being left wanting and in trouble.  The bitter consequences of guilt, fear, and sin can end up ruining our lives and reputations. . .  May our words and actions reveal a pure heart for God—not the bitterness of selfish desires.

When we’re tempted, let’s ask God to strengthen us and help us remain faithful to Him.  He can help us look behind the short-term “sweetness” of giving in to temptation and guide us to carefully consider the long-term consequences of our choices.

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– When has temptation led to bitter consequences for you?

– How can you remain faithful to God?

Prayer: Dear God, I need Your strength to fight temptation and remain faithful to You.

https://odb.org/2024/04/21/the-bitterness-of-stolen-sweets

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

When His Spirit fill us, He can heal the hurt that causes bitterness

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Saturday, April 20, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[When His Spirit fill us, He can heal the hurt that causes bitterness]

FAMILY MATTERS

Scripture reading:

Like a small root that grows into a great tree, bitterness springs up in our hearts and overshadows even our deepest Christian relationships.  A “poisonous root of bitterness” comes when we allow disappointment to grow into resentment, or when we nurse grudges over past hurts.  Bitterness brings with it jealousy, dissension, and immorality.  When the Holy Spirit fills us, however, He can heal the hurt that causes bitterness.  (NLT)

Hebrews 12:14-17 – Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.  Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.  Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.  You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected.  It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

Today’s story is by:  Elisa Morgan

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone.  –Hebrews 12:14

My sister, brother, and I flew from our separate states to our uncle’s funeral and stopped to see our ninety-year-old grandmother.  She’d been paralyzed by a stroke, had lost the ability to speak, and had only the use of her right hand.  As we stood around her bed, she reached out that hand and took each of our hands, placing one atop another over her heart and patted them in place.  With this wordless gesture, my grandmother spoke into what had been our somewhat broken and distant sibling relationship.  “Family matters.”

In God’s family, the church, we can grow apart as well.  We might allow bitterness to separate us from each other.  The writer of Hebrews references the bitterness that separated Esau from his brother (Hebrews 12:16) and challenges us as brothers and sisters to hold on to each other in God’s family.  “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone” (v. 14).  Here the words every effort convey a deliberate and decisive investment in peacemaking with our brothers and sisters in God’s family.  Every such effort is then applied to everyone.  Every.  One.

Family matters.  Both our earthly families and God’s family of believers.  Might we all invest the efforts needed to hold on to each other?

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– What would it mean for you to “make every effort to live in peace with everyone” in God’s family?

– Is there a particular person you might need to approach for reconciliation?

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for drawing me to Yourself.  Help me to make every effort to live at peace with everyone in Your family.

https://odb.org/2024/04/20/family-matters

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

Our most difficult circumstances can be a blessing as we give them to Him in prayer

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Friday, April 19, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[Our most difficult circumstances can be a blessing as we give them to Him in prayer]

THE VALLEY OF PRAISE

Scripture reading:

After they experienced God’s blessing and protection in the wilderness, the Judeans renamed Ziz the Valley of Berachah, meaning “Blessing,” to remind themselves of God’s goodness.  (NKJV)

2 Chronicles 20:21-26 – After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor.  This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.  The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them.  After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other.  So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see.  Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder.  They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry.  There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!  On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got it name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there.  It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.

Today’s story is by: James Banks

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah.  –2 Chronicles 20:26

Poet William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life.  After a suicide attempt, he was committed to an asylum.  But it was there through the care of a Christian physician that Cowper came to a warm, vital faith in Jesus.  Soon afterwards, Cowper became acquainted with pastor and hymnwriter John Newton, who encouraged him to collaborate on a hymnal for their church.  Among the hymns Cowper wrote was “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” which contains these words pressed from the crucible of experience: “You fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds you so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.”

Like Cowper, the people of Judah also met God’s kindness unexpectedly.  As an alliance of armies invaded their nation, King Jehoshaphat gathered the people for prayer. . .

On the fourth day, the very place where a hostile invading force gathered against God’s people was dubbed the Valley of Berakah (v. 26)—literally, “the valley of praise” or “blessing.”  What a change!  God’s mercy can turn even our most difficult valleys into places of praise as we give them to Him.

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– How have you seen God bring good out of difficulty in your life?

– What can you thank Him for today?

Prayer: I praise You, loving God, that no valley is deeper than Your love.

https://odb.org/2024/04/19/the-valley-of-blessing-2

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/

His discipline is always loving, and its object is always the well-being for us, His beloved

Dear Lord, open our hearts and our minds to the power of Your Word, which as we read, we may know, understand, and obey Your Word for us today.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  (Author unknown)

Click on the following link for helpful topics and previous posts: https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/

DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Thursday, April 18, 2024

For more Helpful Inspirational Material:

May you find comfort, encouragement, guidance, hope, inspiration, love, and peace – https://helpfulinspirationalblog.wordpress.com/. May you also find answers to your question(s) through the Scriptures that address every situation you face, and help with your problems.  Deb ♥

Today’s daily reading:

[His discipline is always loving, and its object is always the well-being for us, His beloved]

GOD’S TENDER LOVE

Scripture reading:

God’s discipline requires times of leading and times of feeding.  Sometimes the rope is taut; sometimes it is slack.  God’s discipline is always loving, and its object is always the well-being of the beloved.   When you are called to discipline others—children, students, employees, or church members—do not be rigid.  Vary your approach according to the goals you are seeking to accomplish.  In each case, ask yourself, Does this person need guidance, or does he or she need to be nurtured?  (NLT)

Hosea 11:1-4 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.  But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.  I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand.  But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him.  I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love.  I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.

Today’s story is by: Lisa M. Samra

To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek.  –Hosea 11:4

A 2017 video of a dad comforting his two-month-old son while the baby received his routine vaccinations garnered international attention for the way it captured a dad’s love for his child.  After the nurse finished administering the vaccinations, the dad tenderly held his son close to his cheek, and the boy stopped sobbing within seconds.  There’s almost nothing more reassuring than the tender care of a loving parent.

In Scripture, there are many beautiful descriptions of God as a loving parent, images that invoke God’s deep love for His children.  Old Testament prophet Hosea was given a message to deliver to the Israelites living in the Northern Kingdom during the time of the divided kingdom.  He called them to return to a relationship with God.  Hosea reminded the Israelites of God’s love for them as he pictured God as a gentle Father . . . (Hosea 11:1) and “to them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek” (v. 4).

This same reassuring promise of God’s loving care is true for us.  Whether we seek His tender care after a season where we’ve rejected His love or because of pain and suffering in our lives, He calls us His children (1 John 3:1¹) and His comforting arms are open to receive us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4²).

[If you would like to journal, reflect, meditate, or pray on today’s reading:]

– How have you experienced the love of God as a caring Father?

– What concerns might you bring to Him today?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You call me Your child and provide tender care when I run to You.

Scripture reference:

¹) 1 John 3:1 – See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!  But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

²) 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

https://odb.org/2024/04/18/tender-love

Here is the link for Our Daily Bread website: https://odb.org/