VERSE: Ruth 1:11–But Naomi said, “Return my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?” TRUTH: When we are experiencing sadness and even depression, our first impulse is to turn others away and convince ourselves we should suffer alone. In truth, what we need most is other people. Naomi had lost her husband and her sons and she was busy thinking about her own grief and all that she had lost. She thought she should be alone because she felt he had nothing left to give to others. This couldn’t have been further from the truth. We all…

VERSE: Ephesians 6:11–Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. TRUTH: How do we survive the constant attacks of Satan? We must be fully equipped and stand firm. The Lord provides everything we need to withstand, but if we don’t use it, we won’t be able to stand firm. Just like we wouldn’t leave for work without our pants, we must be certain to be fully dressed in God’s armor each moment of every day or we are opening up ourselves to be attacked. Are we full dressed today? RESPONSE: Lord, You have provided everything for…

VERSE: Ephesians 5:8–for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. TRUTH: Before we accepted Christ, we were lost and in darkness. Once we accept Christ int our hearts, we become Light. There is a big difference when we look at light and darkness and so it should be when people compare our life before Christ and after. Are we now giving off the Light of Christ in our everyday life? RESPONSE: Lord, I was once in darkness, but no more. I am now in the Light and my whole life is to display Your Light to everyone that is around…

VERSE: Ephesians 4:32–Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. TRUTH: Why should we bother with being nice to others? Besides the admonition from our parents, the even greater reason is that God Himself has been kind to us and forgiven us. Because we have been forgiven, we should be able to easily forgive each other. How can we accept God’s forgiveness and not be willing to share what we have been given. How we treat others is a reflection of how we have been treated by God. RESPONSE: Lord, I pray You will prompt me to treat others as…

VERSE: Ephesians 3:12–in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. TRUTH: Thanks to Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf, we have access to God through faith. But not just any access. We have complete access that we can come confidently and with boldness before God. He wants a relationship with us and we don’t have to hide or cower in a corner in fear. Because of Jesus Christ, we can have confidence to come boldly to God, knowing that He loves us and accepts us through Jesus Christ. RESPONSE: Father, You are Holy and I am just me, yet You have made a way for…

VERSE: Ephesians 2:8-9–For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works so that no one may boast. TRUTH: Our salvation is a gift from God that is made available to us by the grace of God. We receive this gift through our faith alone, not because of anything “good” that we do to earn it. Why did God design it this way? So that we would not be able to save ourselves by anything that we could do and therefore be able to boast in our own abilities. Only the grace of God…

VERSE: Ephesians 1:7–In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. TRUTH: Jesus Christ gives us so much more than we can imagine. His grace is so rich that He offers us redemption and forgiveness. The Lord’s sacrifice and His blood that was shed on our behalf was a result of His grace. The forgiveness of our wrong doings that Jesus provides for all who come to Him is the result of His amazing grace. By knowing Jesus, we know the complete forgiveness and redemption that God has for us. RESPONSE: Lord, Your forgiveness is amazing and Your grace…

VERSE: Galatians 6:9–Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. TRUTH: Doing good is not always easy. It can be often very discouraging and downheartening work for several reasons. Paul encourages the believers to not lose heart. Paul knows that they will receive a reward for their faithfulness at some point in the future. Are we persevering in doing that which we know to be good and right? RESPONSE: Lord, I will push forward, I will not allow discouragement to keep me from doing the things You have called me to do. Father, keep me focused on…

VERSE: Galatians 5:7–You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? TRUTH: As we go along in our Christian walk, each day becomes harder and harder. The temptations and potential distractions seem to mount up in front of us. We are running well, we must not allow these temptations to trip us up or hinder us from the race of the Christian life that we are running. Paul knew the Galatians had allowed themselves to become distracted and he sought to get them back on the right path. What has hindered us today? Lay it aside, focus on the truth, and get running! RESPONSE: Father, I don’t want…

VERSE: Galatians 4:4-5–But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. TRUTH: We are sinners under the Law. God sent Jesus who lived perfectly, not breaking any of the Law, so that He could sacrifice Himself and pay the penalty we all deserve, death. Through His sacrifice we are able to come to God and be adopted as God’s own children. We can have a relationship with God that was originally denied to us based on our faith in Jesus…