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Christian Devotional – June 1, 2017
Reading Jonah 1:8-17, we see men who are at the end of themselves, desperate for answers, who are open and interested in learning about God. Now that they have figured out that Jonah is somehow responsible for the situation they are in, they ask question after question of him. Jonah shares his story. Interestingly, Jonah’s not trying to convert these men, he just wants them to help him die so he won’t have to obey God. The men try everything they can think of to do this their own way, but in the end, they come back to Jonah’s suggestion and they throw him in. The sea immediately becomes calm…
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Christian Devotional – May 31, 2017
Are you awake or asleep? In Jonah 1:4-7 we find Jonah having run off and God seeking after him. Jonah runs off and God decides, “Oh no, you don’t get off so easy.” and sends a storm after him. Jonah goes to sleep. He’s in the midst of disobedience and he’s so comfortable with it that he sleeps and doesn’t recognize the danger around him. How often are we so steadfast in our disobedience that we ignore the dangers around us? We ignore the signs and we stop looking for how God is trying to get our attention and just continue on blindly running. Don’t shut your eyes to the…
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Christian Devotional – May 30, 2017
What happens when God’s will and our will don’t match? Well, there’s really only 2 options, either we become obedient to God’s will for our life, or we run. In Jonah 1:1-3 we see that he was faced with that exact question. God wanted him to go and preach in Nineveh, but he didn’t want to. So, Jonah ran. What do we do? God brings people and opportunities into our lives for a reason. God allow certain things to come our way in order to give us the opportunity for obedience. We simply have to decide if we are going to or not. Jonah’s disobedience started an entire set of…
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Christian Devotional – May 27, 2017
Greet others with grace. That is how Paul ends Philippians. In chapter 4, verses 21-23, Paul indicates that they should greet each other in Christ Jesus. He explains that the Believers where he is send their greeting. Then he goes on to state that the grace of the Lord Jesus should be with us. As we encounter other believers, we are to see them as we would see Jesus. We’re to treat them as we would treat Jesus. And in many cases, that means giving them Grace. Seeing the best side of them is part of how Grace can look when we’re around other people. Other people are not perfect.…
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Christian Devotional – May 26, 2017
Do we truly trust God for everything? In Philippians 4:14-20, we see Paul in a position where he has no other option but to trust. Still, he is not begging people for money. Paul knows that as people give what God is directing, they will always experience the excitement of being provided for by God. Paul was provided for and he knew that the Philippians would be provided for as well. When it comes to the “stuff” in our lives, it can be difficult to trust God. Churches beg and plead for money, not to encourage the worship and obedience of their members, but to focus on their own needs.…
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Christian Devotional – May 25, 2017
Are we truly thankful? In Philippians 4:10-13 we see Paul expressing his heartfelt thanks for the people of Philippi and all they had provided for him. Paul clarifies that he thanks them, not so that he can get more from them, but so they receive recognition and reward for their sacrifice. Paul explains that he can do this because he has learned the secret to being content in every situation regardless of his material surroundings. His secret? He knows that he can do anything through Jesus Christ who gives him strength. Any situation that we find ourselves in, any circumstance, we can find the way through because of the strength…
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Christian Devotional – May 24, 2017
What are we thinking about and what are we doing? Reading Philippians 4:8-9, we see the importance of the things that we are spending our time thinking about. What we think about ultimately becomes what we do. If we are thinking about things that are right, pure, lovely, then the things that we will do will line up with those thoughts we have. If we’re spending our time thinking about things that are mean, stressful, overwhelming, unkind, then those will be the types of actions that we will do. Ultimately, our thoughts dictate our actions. We must guard our thoughts and guard our minds if we desire to have actions…
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Christian Devotional – May 23, 2017
Yesterday we saw that peace should guard our hearts. Today we learn what should be on our minds. Philippians 4:8-9 discusses what we are to spend our time filling our mind with. As we look back on our day yesterday, do those words listed in verse 8 describe our thoughts from yesterday? If not, we are to repent and start today differently. How can we do that. Surround ourselves with people and things that are like that. If we are around negative people, we will have negative thoughts. If we listen or watch negative things, we will have negative thoughts. Only by surrounding ourselves with the things of Christ will…
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Christian Devotional – May 22, 2017
What guards your heart? In Phillipians 4:4-7 we see an interesting mix of words used together. Rejoice, peace, anxious, Thanksgiving. In verse 7, Paul indicates that the peace of God will guard our hearts in Christ Jesus. I don’t typically think of Peace as being something that is active like that. Peace generally has a more passive feel to it. We rest in peace. We experience peace. Now that peace actually guards us. Yet, if we read through those verses, we understand that while we are rejoicing in the Lord and we are bringing our anxious thoughts and worries to him, we can experience his peace. Additionally his peace is…
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Christian Devotional – May 20, 2017
Unity in Christ is so important. Philippians 4:1-3 is where Paul reminds the people of the importance of having a unified mind together in Christ. Paul uses the verses to remind the women of that importance. They have been able to accomplish great things together with him when they were focused on Jesus Christ and him alone. When that is our sole goal and purpose, we can accomplish exactly what God has for us. When we get distracted and start focusing on other things, that is when we become ineffective in our walk and our service for Christ. How effective are we being? If you don’t feel you’re being very…