Daily Devotions

18 Apr.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32, AMPC).

A person with no emotional control is the weakest person on the planet. If we can control our feelings instead of letting them control us, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.

17 Apr.

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7).

The danger of making decisions based on our emotions is that our feelings can lead us in the wrong direction and get us in trouble. Mastering our emotions leads to self-control, which is one of the fruits of the spirit.

16 Apr.

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

When we’re in Christ and He’s in us, we’re in the safest place in the universe: His presence. We don’t have to fear death because when we slip out of our bodies, we’ll instantly find ourselves standing before Him in heaven.

15 Apr.

^“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 1:2).

Our souls are where our emotions reside. God wants us to exercise the authority He gave us in the emotional realm. When we succeed in controlling our emotions, we prosper in other areas of our lives as well.

14 Apr.

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalm 16:11, NLT).

Living apart from God isn’t really living, just existing. God wants us to enjoy His presence now, while we’re still on earth, and then spend eternity with Him in heaven.

13 Apr.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31, 32).

Our God is a generous God who gives His love and all the best of heaven freely. Generosity is His nature; there’s nothing that He won’t give—not even His own Son.

12 Apr.

“…But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

We live in a world that doesn’t know God, and it shows! We’re surrounded by weak-willed people who are easily manipulated because they don’t know His Word; by contrast, believers who do know Him have the inner strength and godly morals to do extraordinary things.

11 Apr.

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

Many people have no relationship with Jesus and therefore don’t know Him. Having knowledge of God through a personal relationship with Christ gives us peace and allows His grace to flow into our lives.

10 Apr.

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6).

Jesus Christ the Son is the mirror image of God the Father; to know Jesus is to know God. Experiencing God firsthand through Jesus strengthens our faith in His love for us.

9 Apr.

“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11, 12).

We must be careful not to get caught up in so many distractions that we can’t hear God’s still, small voice speaking to us. His instructions and directions anchor us and keep us on the right path.

8 Apr.

“For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not” (Isaiah 30:15).

The world is a noisy, cluttered place; we rejuvenate by eliminating the spiritual static to hear God. God tried to give rest and quietness to the children of Israel, but they were too preoccupied to listen; we can learn from their mistakes.

7 Apr.

“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13, NLT).

Jesus shed His blood so that we would never again be separated from God like those in the Old Testament. God is no longer a harsh judge, but now a loving Father who wants a relationship with us.

6 Apr.

“Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble” (Proverbs 17:17, MSG).

God wants the best for us. This includes the blessing of godly friendships and enduring family relationships.

5 Apr.

“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

We can sin with our mouths by speaking carelessly and hurting others with what we blurt out. A sign of emotional maturity is knowing when to hold our tongue.

4 Apr.

“And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately” (Acts 9:32-34).

It’s not God’s will that we tolerate sickness; He therefore gave us the same healing power that He gave to Jesus Christ. We have the same ability to get results as the apostles.

3 Apr.

“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1, NLT).

Unlike imperfect human love, God’s love is perfect and unconditional. Even when we’re struggling to love ourselves because of a mistake we’ve made, His love always welcomes and accepts us; this is truly a reason to be thankful.

2 Apr.

“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all” (1 Timothy 6:20, 21, NIV).

Paul wanted to warn against the influences worldly philosophies can have on a Believer’s way of thinking. This is timeless advice because countless theories that go against the Word of God can infiltrate our mind. What begins in the mind eventually works its way into the heart.

1 Apr.

“The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me” (2 Samuel 22:21, NKJV).

Much has changed from the old to the new covenant, including the way God deals with us. Before Jesus, God dealt with the people based on their deeds; now, He deals with us according to Jesus’ deeds and our faith in them.

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