Daily Devotions

Tuesday, September 29.

David’s psalms often describe the life of integrity believers should have. Today’s passage shows us that God values our righteousness and honesty. To develop and maintain a lifestyle that pleases Him, we must …

Formulate our beliefs on the basis of Scripture. The Bible explains our need for a Savior, Christ’s death for our sin, and the Father’s free gift of eternal life. Once we believe these foundational Christian truths, our priorities should flow from our position as God’s adopted children.

Submit to Christ’s lordship. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and follow Him (Mark 8:34). Commitment to the Savior will help us stand against temptation and choose righteousness. Build relationships with individuals who value godly living. The influence of other Christians strengthens us in our dedication and obedience to the Lord.

Acknowledge missteps. Everyone makes mistakes. But when we do, we should confess our sin to God and turn away from the wrong behavior (1 John 1:9).Living a life of integrity isn’t always easy. But our Father, who understands our struggles, sent His Spirit to guide us toward godliness. Let’s ask Him to help us become more like the person described in Psalm 15.

Memory verse: Mark 8:34.

Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.” Don Galer

Friday, September 25.

Because we’re human, we all experience feelings of inadequacy from time to time. But the real issue facing us is not whether we are sufficient for a task, but how we will respond to such a challenge.

The Israelites felt inadequate as they stood on the edge of the Promised Land. The size and strength of the enemy contrasted sharply with their own weakness and inability, and they didn’t trust the Lord’s promise. So they refused to conquer the land and as a result were made to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. How tragic that they never saw the land God wanted to give them.

Like the children of Israel, we become fearful and expect to fail. As the obstacle grows in our mind, we run from the challenge and toward safety. However, turning away from a God-given task will lead us not to security but into bondage. Faith, on the other hand, will set us on the path our Father has planned for us.

When the Lord calls you to an assignment beyond your abilities, rely on what you know about Him and His promises. You will discover that our faithful God always empowers us for the work He wants us to accomplish.

Deuteronomy 1:3.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, and the absence of fear.” Mark Twain

Thursday, September 24.

For us, jealousy isn’t attractive, but for God, it’s a holy attribute. God is unhappy when we worship anyone besides Him. Only He deserves our praise.

When reading in the Old Testament, we may not understand why people would bow before idols, surely they didn’t think that these objects were living and powerful. But we make a similar mistake, placing too high a value on money, relationships, power, and the like. Though not bad in themselves, such things can become the focus of our worship. That’s why the Father is jealous for our heart.

There are two reasons God won’t tolerate our misplaced devotion. First, He deserves the glory. And second, there is nothing better for us than His love. Praising Him above all else is actually in our own best interest. Therefore, when our heart doesn’t belong solely to Christ, He will use discipline and reminders so we will prioritize Him.

This week, notice where you spend your time and money and what dominates your thoughts. Even if your pursuits seem good on the surface, pray about what might be an idol in your life. Confess any misplaced affection, and ask the Lord for help in making Him the object of your devotion.

Memory verse: Psalms 100:1

“When you enter his presence with praise, he enters your circumstances with power.” Intentionallife.com

Tuesday, September 22.

Have you ever read about sacrifice in the Old Testament and wondered what it was for? The only payment for sin is death, and the Lord graciously allowed animals to be offered as a substitute for human lives. So people regularly brought sacrifices to God as atonement. However, it was only a temporary solution and had to be repeated often.

In order for mankind to be eternally freed from the guilt of sin, God required that the once-for-all sacrifice had to be completely pure (Leviticus 22:20). What’s more, it could not be an animal. After all, the guilt belonged to man; therefore, the world was in need of a perfect and sinless person to be offered.

What an impossible situation: Man was responsible to pay the price, but God alone was capable of sinlessness. The only possible solution was for Jesus Christ, who was wholly God and wholly man to offer His life on our behalf. Unlike the blood of bulls and lambs, Christ’s blood was a fully sufficient one-time payment for all sin.

This is why we say that we’re saved by the blood of Christ. Jesus did what we could not. He set us free from our sins. Consider the immensity of the sacrifice He made on your behalf. Have you thanked Him lately?

Memory verse: Romans 6:23.

“You can never lose sight of the ocean until you lose sight of the shore.” Unknown