Category Archives: Devotional

Daily Devotional: January 11 – Signs of Wickedness

The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts – Psalm 10:4

How do you define wickedness? The bible teaches us that the opposite of righteousness is wickedness. If righteousness is about knowing the right person (Jesus), who puts us in right standing, so that we can make the right choices, then wickedness is the opposite. Wickedness comes when we do not seek the right person and culminates in us making the wrong choices. It is estimated that an adult makes about 35,000 decisions on a daily basis. Thus, the only way to make the right decision every time is to seek God and to trust Him! The moment we choose not to seek God or to trust in Him is the moment we slip into wicked ways. Therefore, the first sign that you are heading towards wickedness is the slippage of your spiritual discipline! How are you doing with your spiritual growth commitment this year? Have you started to skip a day or two in reading your bible? Has your prayer life started to suffer? Are you finding it difficult to remember what you read because you are distracted by other things in your life?  Take heed of these little signs and choose to commit yourself to your spiritual disciplines.   

I will not let wickedness creep into my life by neglecting my relationship with God

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Daily Devotional: January 10 – Your Sure Refuge

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble – Psalm 9:9

To whom do you run in time of trouble? Most people seek other people’s guidance or choose to pull on what they know, understand, or have experienced in the past. The problem with this approach is that our experience and emotions tend to cloud our judgment, and the people we ask for help are biased and have limited insight. While seeking counsel from others is a good first step, it should not be your last step. The best decision you can make is to seek and trust in God’s guidance and direction. Any other decision is akin to running into a shelter with broken down roof in the middle of a storm – it is better than nothing, but it is not the best. Since God is the only sure refuge, it is wise to be as close to Him as possible so that you can easily run to Him when trouble comes. Choose to be close to Him so that the storms of life do not pummel you when they come. How close are you to your refuge? The closer you are to Him, the less affected you are by the storms of life.  

I will get closer to God so that the troubles of this world do not overwhelm me

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Daily Devotional: January 9 – Keen Interest

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You should visit him? – Psalm 8:4

Is God interested in you? You better believe it! We are infinitely small compared to the universe but that does not stop God from keeping his eyes on us. We push Him away and do what we feel, but his great grace upholds us. We did nothing to deserve His love, but He sent Jesus to the earth to visit us and save us from the wrath that our own behavior deserved. King David reminds us that He crowed us with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5) and granted us rulership over all the earth (Psalm 8:6). Consider these things the next time you think that God has forgotten about you or is no longer interested in you. He wants you to view Him as a Father who loves you and not just some distant God. His interest in you will never cease no matter what you do or go through in this world. You are not just another number to Him but a special treasure to whom He cannot wait to lavish His love.

There is nothing I can do to keep God’s heart and mind away from me

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Daily Devotional: January 8 – A Great Day

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to you and I will look up – Psalm 5:3

What is the secret to having a great day? The secret is seeking God and involving Him in all you do. Why involve Him? First, He is smarter, wiser, and stronger than anyone you could ever face. Second, He is more powerful and bigger than anything we could ever encounter. Third, He loves you more than anyone could. Friend, do not let anyone distract you from seeking God. Do not let anything hurry you into doing something without seeking His guidance. The best time to seek God is early in the morning before your day starts. By doing this, you prevent yourself from making avoidable mistakes, and you take the right path for the day. Make it a practice to begin your day by having a conversation with God. Commit your day to Him, ask Him questions, and then listen for His response. Do this consistently and your great day will turn into a great week, a great week into a great month, and a great month into a great year.

I will prioritize my quiet time with God so I can have a great day

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Daily Devotional: January 7 – Righteous Anger

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still – Psalm 4:4

Is it okay to be angry? Absolutely! In fact, king David in today’s bible verse encourages us to be angry. This sounds strange until we understand that the anger he advocates is righteous anger. Unlike unrighteous anger that is influenced by the flesh and turns to wrath if not kept in check, righteous anger is influenced and controlled by God. This type of anger does not settle for less than God’s best but provokes positive and godly change. What would happen if you got so angry about your pride, ego, fears, poverty, faltering marriage, failing health? What would happen if you got so angry at your wayward ways that you said in your heart that enough is enough? Don’t just accept things just as they are but meditate on the word of God to get key insights on how to tackle the issues in your life. One of the best decisions you can make today is to be angry at the problems with the goal of finding godly solutions.

I choose the anger that leads to positive change and blessings in my life

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Daily Devotional: January 6 – Glory to Shame

How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? – Psalm 4:2

How does glory turn to shame? Glory turns to shame when glory becomes the object of our love and affection instead of God. Moses warned the tribe of Israel about turning away from God after He blesses them; He warned them against thinking that their blessing came by their own power and might (Deuteronomy 8:11-17). Moses knew very well that full bellies often invite foolishness, and blessings can be the beginning of blasphemies! King Solomon unequivocally proved Moses words by turning his glory to shame: The man (king Solomon) who asked God for wisdom instead of gold and silver ended up discarding wisdom by worshipping the gold and silver (in the form of idols) that God had brought him through wisdom. We serve a God who yearns jealously for us. Our love and affection are meant for Him and nothing else. As God blesses you, beware that you do not turn your new found glory to shame.

I will always worship the creator and not His blessings

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Daily Devotional: January 5 – In Your Corner

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around – Psalm 3:6

If God is for us, then who can be against us? The bible tells a story of prophet Elisha’s servant who was afraid when he saw that the Syrian army had surrounded Elisha and him. He was surprised that Elisha remained calm until Elisha prayed for God to open his eyes to the fact that there was an army of angels surrounding the army of the enemy (2 Kings 6). The story of Elisha’s servant reveals that how and what we see dictates our mood and behavior. If we only see with physical eyes, then we are troubled and we run and hide. Yet if we see with spiritual eyes, then we are calmer and we stand our ground. When trouble comes, your question shouldn’t be who is against me, but who is for me. If the God of heaven is for you, then there is no need to be afraid regardless of the size of the trouble that comes against you. What is going on around you doesn’t matter, what matters is who is in your corner. What trouble is too difficult for God? What issue is He unable to solve? With God in your corner, today’s troubles are simply opportunities to testify of the goodness of God tomorrow.

It does not matter who is against me so long as God is for me

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Daily Devotional: January 4 – Here Comes Trouble

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me! – Psalm 3:1

Does your resolve to follow God mean you won’t experience trouble? No! The bible makes this clear very early on through the story of Cain and Abel. Cain rose up against Abel because Abel followed God and pleased Him. Cain was jealous that God was pleased with Abel and blessed Him and so he decided to strike him down. Abel did not go looking for trouble, but trouble found him! As God blesses you, you too will become a target of people who are envious, jealous, angry, or otherwise hate you for no other reason except that you are the object of God’s blessings. Jesus mentions that we will experience trials and tribulations; He does not say that we may…yet He says that we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Therefore, be sure to seek help from the One who has overcome when trouble comes. This is what king David did when he encountered persecution. He cried out to God (Psalm 3:4) and remembered that salvation belongs to God (Psalm 3:8). Though trouble will come, it does not have to overcome you.

I will fight my battles on my knees in prayer

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Daily Devotional: January 3 – Serve and Rejoice

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling – Psalm 2:11

What does it mean to fear? To fear does not mean to be afraid. Rather, it means to be in awe and to respect; it is described as gazing intently or paying very close attention. Therefore, to serve the Lord with fear means that we look to Him and pay close attention to His instructions and desires. When we serve the Lord with fear, we find that we end up rejoicing with trembling. We do not tremble because we are afraid, but we tremble because we are stunned by how good He is to us; we are shaken at the realization of how underserving we are of His goodness. An example of this type of joyful trembling is what happened when Peter and his fellow fishermen went fishing with Jesus. He was stunned and rejoiced greatly at the great catch but also fell down on his knees in recognition that he was not deserving of the Lords abundant goodness towards him. Do you want to tremble at God’s goodness towards you this year? If so, choose to serve Him with fear.

I won’t serve God haphazardly but with great care and attention

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Daily Devotional: January 2 – Ask Away

Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession – Psalm 2:8

Do you know that God wants you to ask Him for things that seem too big and impossible for you? Your refusal to ask is not a sign of humility, it is a sign of lack of awareness of your position in Christ or lack of awareness of God’s great desire for you! The bible says that we don’t have because we don’t ask (James 4:2). If we don’t receive something from God, it shouldn’t be because we haven’t asked but rather it should be because we have asked amiss. Don’t short-circuit God’s blessing in your life but let God decide how gracious He wants to be to you. God the Father said to His Son that if He asked, then He would give Him the nations and the ends of the earth. We are sons and daughters of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. What does He have in His heart for us that we have yet to receive because we haven’t asked?

I will not be afraid to ask God for the things I truly desire

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