Daily Devotions

Saints of God,Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new week. It is my prayers that God will be with you all every hour of the day, guiding and protecting you. 

To begin this week, I want each of us to be thankful for the little things. I am thankful to God and you all for the love. I am thankful for a good seven hours or more of sleep and rest. 

When my daughter was little, she scraped her knee. I put a little bandage on it. It surprised me how much comfort she got from such a tiny adhesive strip. Maybe the bandage represented much more than a wound covering, for it was put there by the familiar hands of love and tender kindness.

Throughout the Bible, we see how God uses little things in life to bring hope and healing to the world.God chose the small nation of Israel to be a blessing to the world. Through this little nation, cared for by God’s faithful hands, the Savior Jesus came into the world. The Savior came in a small package: A baby born to a teenage peasant girl. Who would have thought that such a child would heal the broken-hearted and bound up their wounds?

Let us give thanks for the little things. Let us give thanks that God works in small ways. God’s hands are loving and tender. May your week be a week filled with peace.

Memory verse: Psalms 100:1

“You will Never influence the world by trying to be like it.”

Saints of God,Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new week. It is my prayers that God will be with you all every hour of the day, guiding and protecting you. 

To begin this week, I want each of us to be thankful for the little things. I am thankful to God and you all for the love. I am thankful for a good seven hours or more of sleep and rest. 

When my daughter was little, she scraped her knee. I put a little bandage on it. It surprised me how much comfort she got from such a tiny adhesive strip. Maybe the bandage represented much more than a wound covering, for it was put there by the familiar hands of love and tender kindness.

Throughout the Bible, we see how God uses little things in life to bring hope and healing to the world.God chose the small nation of Israel to be a blessing to the world. Through this little nation, cared for by God’s faithful hands, the Savior Jesus came into the world. The Savior came in a small package: A baby born to a teenage peasant girl. Who would have thought that such a child would heal the broken-hearted and bound up their wounds?

Let us give thanks for the little things. Let us give thanks that God works in small ways. God’s hands are loving and tender. May your week be a week filled with peace.

Memory verse: Psalms 100:1

“You will Never influence the world by trying to be like it.”

I watched helplessly as a glass I bought from the Etcetera store shattered and scattered across the floor. There was nothing I could do. I swept it up and threw it away. I was cautious not to go barefoot as splinters of glass lingers.
We can relate this scenario to a broken heart. It may have felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. When this happens, the hurt is too deep, too painful. I have heard people say, ‘time heals all wounds,’ but when things are shattered, it is difficult to comprehend. During these experiences, we are numb. When we experience painful events, a broken heart is imminent: a relationship gone wrong, the death of a loved one, a child gone astray, or someone you loved has moved away.

When our plans do not go well as we had planned, we experience mixed emotions. There is bewilderment or sometimes anger toward God. One thing I want you to understand is that life is not perfect. The reality is no amount of planning, preparation or insurance can prevent things that are not in our control. Working long hours for a promotion at work, saving up for a luxury car,  or finding a perfect mate are not guaranteed. The reality is they can all be gone in a heartbeat.

The good news is the Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit,” (Psalm 34:18). Our prayer should be a plea for God’s grace and the faith to believe that all would be well.

Memory verse: Romans 8:28

“The ungodly give gifts to influence decisions; the Godly give gifts to prove love” (allchristiansquotes.org).

At some point in life, everyone will decide what shapes his or her values. We either let the world define our values, or we do it ourselves, or we let scriptures define our values. It is true that the way we live, our friends, and the environment influence our values. As Christians, God wants our deeply held values to be drawn from scriptures. This is the only way we can conduct our lives with godly influence. We have to realize our behavior does influence others. 

We gave permission for others to replicate our behavior when they observe ours. We influence people by our style of dress, by the way we speak, and how we choose our friends. This is the reason why Paul in 1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” You don’t have to be prominent in the world’s eyes to be an influential person. Through your example and testimony, you can help others understand who Jesus Christ is and what it looks like to live for Him. 

Scripture includes many examples of righteous men and women who were influential in their generation. One of them was Daniel, who was a godly influence not only on his friends but also on kings. Even as a youth, he was committed to obeying God’s law. Consequently, when Daniel was offered food from the Babylonian king’s table, he requested vegetarian meals instead, to comply with Jewish dietary restrictions. His commitment to the Lord outweighed any fear of reprisal for rejecting the royal provisions. And God protected Daniel by giving him favor with his overseer.

Although most of us won’t have an opportunity to influence global leaders, our example can impact a workplace, neighborhood, home, or future generations. As was true of Daniel, a godly example is rooted in obedience to Scripture because it’s the source of wisdom. In a world that is tossed about by upheaval, fear, and uncertainty, our confidence in the Lord stands out and influences those around us. Are you a godly influence?

Memory verse: Daniel 3:17.

“You have no idea the numbers of people God may want to influence through you” (Andy Stanley).