your daily crossroad
11
Aug '22
Trust in Him
11
Aug '22
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)
Father God, thank You for deeply caring about who I am. I’m so grateful that one day, You will take away all the pain and hardship I’ve experienced. But until that day comes, I will trust You and cling to You. I will place my hope in You. I will bring You my pain, and allow You to comfort me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Short and simple devotion yet incredibly powerful. Whatever it is your facing, trust His decision, no matter your plans.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
09
Aug '22
God Grows Our Faith
09
Aug '22
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20)
Have you ever seen how tiny a seed is?
It’s so small, and yet, God’s Word tells us that a little faith (as small as a seed) will move one of the most significant things on the planet—a mountain!
What does that tell us about our Lord and Savior? He desires our belief and trust, and He is mighty and powerful.
Life is difficult. It is full of opportunities to trust the Lord. We each have struggles, hardships, trials, and uncertainties.
However, God is trustworthy, loving, powerful, and always available. We can believe Him to do what needs to be done.
He will meet our needs and work through the things in our lives that seem like mountains to us.
How is that possible? Because when we trust God and look to Him, our situation becomes less critical, and He becomes more important.
Our pain serves a purpose.
Every trial we face strengthens us so that we are better prepared for life’s challenges.
Through each challenge, God grows our faith.
And that faith produces a depth in our character.
Out of that pain and suffering springs forth goodness, joy, hope, and blessing.
Prayer: God, I can’t see anything but the mountains today! Please help me to see you. I trust you and believe in you. Amen.
I love this devotion, “our pain serves a purpose”. Think on that today.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
04
Aug '22
Armour of Light
04
Aug '22
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (Romans 13:12)
Just as we put on clothes every day, we must put on the armor of light every day, too.
By clothing ourselves with the armor of God and His light, we are in turn wrapping ourselves with Him!
By pushing away deeds of darkness and temptations of our flesh, we pull the light of Christ closer to us.
This enables us to live nearer to Him, thus allowing us to make better decisions, have clarity of mind, more peace and joy in our lives.
There is much darkness to be found in the world, but the light of the world lives in each and every follower of Christ.
This precious light that is Jesus, lives in you!
When you go out into the world, the beautiful yet powerful light of Jesus shines through you into the lives of others. You radiate the beacon of hope that people lost in the darkness so desperately yearn for! You become a living lighthouse that points others to Jesus.
As you practice clothing yourself with the armor of light, continue to make a daily effort to live close to God. Ask and thank Him for helping you become more aware of His loving and permeating presence in your life.
Even though we will see evil around the world, the light of Christ that lives in us will always be able to pierce the deepest darkness!
“Lord, thank you for helping me to continually put on your armor of light every day. Help me to say no to temptations and push away deeds of darkness so I may draw nearer to you. Jesus, may your precious light shine through me wherever I go!”
When I read this devotion I was reminded of a book I recently read and the author said something incredibly powerful, something I’ve chosen to speak out loud every day since, over myself, over my children, over my husband, my family, over every aspect of my life, “You must choose to cancel the devils assignment in every single area of your life in the name of Jesus Christ”. When you speak The Name of Jesus Christ, you have full authority and power over the devils assignment and today, I choose to cancel/rebuke the devils assignment. What freedom we can have if we choose to rebuke the devil in his tracks. Will you choose to openly cancel the devils assignment over every area of your life, starting today? Let’s link arm in arm and put the devil and his demons out of commission and call upon The Lord and His host of angels. Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
02
Aug '22
Anger
02
Aug '22
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Anger has become a public epidemic in America. You see the signs of our nation’s irritability everywhere you go. Think about the polarization of our political system, the everyday nastiness of the online world, the workplace or school shootings. It’s so bad that we are afraid to lock eyes with anyone in fear they might lose their cool and pull out a gun. It is an angry world that we are living in.
When we don’t control our anger, we sure don’t seem much like Jesus.
One pastor said we act like a skunk; we spray our stinking temper on anyone who gets in our way. Some of us use anger to motivate people to action. You yell at your kids to motivate their behavior. You yell at a salesclerk to motivate her to help you. You yell at your employees to make them work harder. And it works! At least in the short term. You can scare people into doing almost anything. But in the long run, you will always lose, because anger always alienates people. Think about it: when people are angry and shouting at you, does that draw you closer to them or push you away from them?
If you are a parent and you are using anger to try to motivate your kids, you are pushing them away. When your kids are young, they think you are a superhero. Everyone else might think you are quirky or odd, but not your kids—they think you can do no wrong. Their spirits are wide open to you, but if you continue to show anger toward them, they will shut down. Even if you show them love at other times, they will build a wall to try and protect themselves from the unexpected outbursts of anger. Paul recognized this danger when he warned, “ And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
If you do struggle with anger you may feel like there’s nothing you can do about it. But I will tell you that you have more control over your anger than you think. You can learn to express your emotions without losing control.
Lord, please forgive me for all the times I have lost control of my anger. Please give me guidance and self-control so that I can express myself in a way that glorifies you. Amen.
The moment I read this devotion one thought came to mind, guilty. I feel if we are truly honest with ourselves we have all “sprayed our stinking temper on anyone who gets in the way”, some struggle with anger more than others but I do believe there is hope, guidance and self control that can only come from seeking The Lord, prayer and His word. We must look to Him and His word to saturate our minds and hearts so we don’t allow the enemy opportunity to use the tool of anger to destroy our love and peace within ourselves and those around us. It is possible.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
28
Jul '22
Peace With God
28
Jul '22
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
This peace that God gives may be beyond our comprehension, but it’s not beyond our grasp. It’s readily available to us. If we want to have peace with God, there are no “Three easy steps to peace with God.”There is only one way—Jesus.
When Jesus died on the cross, God put all of the sins of the world on Jesus—past, present, and future. When we accept this gift from God and put our faith in Him, we get the righteousness of Christ. This righteousness, according to Romans 4:23-24, is “credited” to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead.
We all want God’s peace. But until we come to a saving relationship with Jesus, receive His gift, and are saved, we’ll never have it. It’s best stated like this: If we want the peace of God, we must first have peace with God.
When we sin—and we will—this does not cancel out peace with God. When we are justified by God, it’s a one-time event. We’re not justified over and over. Praise God that our human condition doesn’t render our saved, spiritual condition as null and void.
So, what does peace with God do for us during uncertain times? It grants us hope. Hope that the life we live on earth is just the beginning of our forever life with God. As followers of Jesus, people who’ve accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’re given life abundant and life eternal. They go hand in hand.
Because we have the hope of Jesus and His Holy Spirit guiding us, an abundant life is possible here on earth. When we’ve taken our final breath in our temporary body on this earth, we are ushered into eternity. This life in our forever home is eternal and abundant. But, they are both just a continuation of what was begun on earth.
If you know Jesus, if you’ve made Him your Lord and Savior, then you can rest assured that whatever earthly scenarios or circumstances are weighing heavily on you don’t have eternal power over you. In light of what awaits us in our true home, this life is just a tiny segment in time. The peace we have withGod is what guarantees our hope of what’s to come.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
When I read this devotion one scripture came to mind that I wanted to leave you with today. If you are saved and a follower of Christ you will know this profound setting of scripture but to some, it may be foreign to you. He has made the hope that is spoken about in this devotion so easy to obtain, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
If you have chosen to accept Christ into your life, don’t stop there, read the bible, surround yourself with worship music, reach out to a local church in your area, get connected and link arm in arm with the leadership and the people of that church. If you need a Bible, ask, there are also so many Bible resources out there if you have an electronic device.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
26
Jul '22
Being to Doing
26
Jul '22
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13)
Sitting still is fine and important. It’s a big piece of the Christian walk, an important practice.
Sitting still is fine and important. It’s a big piece of the Christian walk, an important practice.
I know I need more of this.
That being said, I reflected yesterday on some things more Christians need to be doing.
We need to go from humans ‘being’ to humans ‘doing.’ Just telling someone “I’ll pray for you…” and not acting is a waste of breath.
I’d say, go a step farther and give that person a hug, ask them for coffee, get way out of your comfort zone.
One question and one statement I believe God would have you state everyday, “what would I do if I weren’t afraid?” and “get comfortable with being uncomfortable”.
Real, dangerous joy is in taking tangible risk.
Today: Step out for Jesus, He stepped out for you.
When I read this devotion is sparked a fire within me. Get up, step out and get doing. Take the examples set before you within this devotion and smile, hold a door open for someone, give up your seat for someone else, show love to the seemingly unlovable, show patience, let someone else go first, the list can go on, you fill in the blanks, only you know what’s beyond your comfort zone. Stop “being” and start “doing”. It’s truly that simple, short yet powerful.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
21
Jul '22
Peace Doesn’t Equal Perfection
21
Jul '22
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
As a follower of Jesus, be comforted in the fact that your salvation brings you peace with God. And then, with each day that you follow Jesus and allow Him to lead your life, you’ll experience the peace of God. But even when we have God’s peace in our lives, it doesn’t equate with perfection in the world. Until we reside in our heavenly, eternal home with God, we won’t know or experience perfection.
So, what causes us to think God’s peace equals perfection on earth? Our expectations. Pastor Steven Furtick said, “If I’m going to live at peace, I’ve got to surrender my expectation of perfection. Peace isn’t found in a place or in a set of circumstances that are problem free.”
While earth is our home, we will have hardship and difficulties. We’ll go through seasons where the pain is intense because pain accompanies struggling relationships, struggling economies, and struggling health crises. These outside pressures don’t have the power to take away God’s perfect peace through Jesus Christ. Furtick goes on to say, “It’s not that He delivers me from it; it’s that He meets me in it.”
He meets us in our deepest time of need with an unexplainable, unfathomable, and inexplicable peace. This peace of God is unrivaled, and it’s beyond compare. No one or no thing is even in the same class as this perfect, mysterious peace. Even though it’s beyond our comprehension, we know when we have God’s peace and we know when we don’t.
We experience it in the midst of unspeakable pain and yet somehow, we have this calmness over us. We experience it when we’re in financial struggles and are unsure of how to pay the next bill, yet we’re amazed we can rest in God’s provision. We experience it when our health is in jeopardy and we don’t know when healing will come, yet we can’t explain the serenity we are living in. That’s the peace of God in imperfect situations. Life is not perfect, but our God is.
God doesn’t always take us out of our valleys, but He will always bring us through them. It’s often in the unknown that God shows us the most powerful revelations about who He is and who we are. We can still trust and rest in our good God during life’s challenges and exhibit faith during our own torrential, situational downpours. It’s this kind of faith that pleases our God.
When I read this devotion it struck close to home. I pray you are encouraged today, no matter what you may be facing at this very moment, remember these two very important facts as your going through whatever it is, “Life is not perfect, but our God is” and “God doesn’t always take us out of our valleys, but He will always bring us through them”. Trust Him.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
19
Jul '22
Loving Others
19
Jul '22
We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:19-20)
Loving God is easy because we know He’s patient, kind, loving in return, and His goodness knows no bounds!
However, it’s the loving others around us part that can be challenging.
When the workers at the grocery store are rude, when our co-workers are snappy, when our cousins at the family reunion are offensive, when the neighbors are critical of your faith… It can feel hard to show love in those moments.
However, if we don’t act like Christ would in those moments, then we are behaving no better than the rest of the world.
The key to loving difficult people is by experiencing the love Christ has for you and falling more in love with Him.
The more we pursue Him with passion and draw close to Him, the more we become like Him. The more we become like Him, the easier it is to show love to others, even if they’re not loving people themselves.
The things that once were so offensive to you start to roll off your shoulder. The words that once stung don’t penetrate your heart anymore because you are so saturated by the love of Christ and wrapped up in His presence!
When we begin to understand how amazing, unconditional and undeserving we are of Christ’s love, something changes in our hearts. We become more humble and grateful for His extravagant love and grace, thus urging us to extend the same love and grace to others, even when they don’t deserve it.
Today, how can you show the love of Christ today to those around you?
As lovers of Christ, we are also representatives of Christ. We represent Him to the world by how we choose to love others around us. The more we fall in love with the One who loved us first, the easier it becomes to love others.
Lord, help me to love others the way you do! I want to represent your kingdom and who you are in a way that glorifies you and draws others to you. I long to fall more in love with you and to experience your amazing love in full measure so I can extend it to others!
When I read this devotion, I get such an urgency to share it with you, I felt we ALL needed this reminder. Today, choose to fall more in love with the One who loved us first and continues to love us despite our daily imperfections. I know I want to love other better, starting today, and it starts with loving The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit more than we did yesterday. We must make them a priory in our lives, daily. I want to leave you with this beautiful hymn I grew up singing.
Breathe Upon Me Breath Of God
Breathe Upon Me Spirit Of The Lord
As I Lift My Hands In Surrender
To Your Name Most High
I Am Yielding To Your Spirit
I Am Walking In Your Love
Jesus, I Adore Your Holy Name.
Breathe Upon Me Spirit Of The Lord
As I Lift My Hands In Surrender
To Your Name Most High
I Am Yielding To Your Spirit
I Am Walking In Your Love
Jesus, I Adore Your Holy Name.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
14
Jul '22
Keep Your Eyes on Him
14
Jul '22
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)
Are things going wrong today?
Stop and remember your trust in Christ.
Bring your requests to Him, and rest knowing you can leave those worries, fears, and concerns with Him.
Then, move on with your day, doing the next thing you must do.
As doubts creep in, continually remind yourself that God is handling it. Continue to lift your requests to Him as they come to mind.
We are told in the first chapter of Joshua three times to be strong and courageous.
However, we can’t do it on our own!
As we study and meditate day and night on God’s Word, hiding it in our hearts, it comes to mind to help us through each struggle.
But it is when we obey God’s Word that God prospers us and helps us overcome those things that weigh us down. God doesn’t just want our trust; He also wants our obedience.
As we keep His Word in our hearts, minds, and mouths, we can use it to direct us in all matters and be triumphant and victorious in Christ.
In addition, the things of God will never ask us to compromise our integrity or our reputation. Instead, our decisions are to be those which will honor God and never blemish His character or who he created us to be—His children, made in His image.
Lord, keep my eyes on you today. Help me spend time in your presence and your Word so my relationship with you will grow strong. Amen.
When I read this devotion I felt the greatest takeaway is, you can’t do life on your own. He is the way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, He is greater than you or I. Look to Him today, read His word and draw closer to Him. He’s waiting. Remember this too today, you were made in His image, you are strong, you are courageous.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
12
Jul '22
You Are Loved, Yes, You!
12
Jul '22
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:10-12)
When the only form of love someone has experienced is human love, then they haven’t experienced the truest love of all.
Know this: The love God has for you is unlike any other.
Read through today’s scripture carefully and soak up every word. That is God speaking to you, your beloved. Whether you may realize it or not, you ARE His beautiful one.
Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! (Song of Songs 4:1)
Have you ever received so much adoration from someone that you didn’t know how to react? Have you ever been under the gaze of adoration from someone and felt like it didn’t belong to you?
Sometimes we may read through the scriptures, read about God’s amazing love, and then look behind us before pointing at ourselves and say, “Me? Is He really talking to me?”
The answer to that is an astounding, “Yes”.
You are His beloved, and He is yours! Know today that He is calling you out of your hiding place.
Why would you shy away from His love? Why would you look away from the One who loves you most?
Why would you wait a second longer before running to Him? There is no shame in His presence.
You are blameless in His sight because of what Jesus has done for you. You are washed clean and shining bright with His robe of righteousness! How He adores and loves you!
It is time to rejoice and arise with your beloved! Come away with Him today, for He is waiting for you.
Lord, there are no words to describe the beauty of your love and who you are. Help me to fully receive and experience the amazing love that you have for me! How I long to spend time away with you and meet you face to face. Help me to see myself the way you do and be transformed by this extravagant love. Thank you for calling me to you, as I choose to run into your arms today.
When I read this devotion I couldn’t help but think, wow, what a powerful devotion. I pray you are inspired to run into His arms today. He truly adores you. Yes, you!
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
07
Jul '22
God’s Presence
07
Jul '22
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isaiah 43:10)
God, You know me. You know what I am facing, and what I’ve already overcome. Please draw near to me right now. Please remind me that You are near me. Show me glimpses of Your faithfulness in this season. Restore my hope and my joy, and teach me how to place my trust in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
He is ever present!
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
05
Jul '22
Faithful
05
Jul '22
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
God, nothing is impossible for You. You love me even when I’m unloveable. You are good to me even when I don’t deserve it. You are kind and compassionate toward me even when I mess up. You show me what faithful love looks like. Thank You for never leaving or forsaking me! Today, remind me of the ways You have shown up in my life so that way I can intentionally praise You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
30
Jun '22
Hand in Hand
30
Jun '22
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:14)
The goodness of the Lord is able to satisfy all our soul-longings!
Without God, people go through life with an aching emptiness in their soul.
They search and search for something to satisfy it.
They exhaust every avenue of sin.
They seek love, acceptance, and identity and wholeness in things of the world.
Without realizing it, their soul is crying out for God because He created them to know Him intimately.
Only He can make us whole.
God created you to walk hand in hand with Him. He designed you to dwell in His company and feast on His goodness and bask in His blessings.
The more and more you pursue God in your relationship with Him, the more of His goodness you will come to know.
The goodness of His character and blessings will begin to saturate and satisfy you daily!
You will become permeated with His presence and people will see Christ shining in you and through, drawing those who do not yet know Him to discover Him.
Whenever we feel dissatisfied in our soul, it’s a sign and nudge for us to seek the Lord’s face.
He is never far away, but always close by waiting for you with open arms!
Any parched areas or gaping emptiness deep within us become quenched and made whole with His living water and flowing abundant goodness!
Today, feast on the Lord’s goodness and be satisfied!
Prayer: “Lord, how good you are! Only you satisfy my soul. Help me to dive deep into our relationship and receive the abundant blessings of your goodness!”
When I read this devotion it quickly reminded me of the importance to pursue God each and every day, only He can satisfy your soul.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
28
Jun '22
Praise Is Powerful
28
Jun '22
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 150:1-6)
Praise is powerful.
In the Bible, the word “praise” occurs about 259 times and “worship” occurs around 188 times. That’s a lot!
What a wonderful reminder of how important it is to lift up praise and worship to the Lord.
After all, the reason God created us was to worship Him!
“This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” (Isaiah 43:21)
When we praise the Lord, it’s much more than singing a happy song. In the spiritual realm, praise and worship is also a weapon of warfare. Satan and his minions can’t stand it when we exalt the name of Jesus and praise the Lord. They have no choice but to flee.
Praising and magnifying the Lord’s name causes bondages to break loose, strongholds to come down, and chains to fall! It increases our connection with God, fortifies our spirit and brings freedom.
And praising God should not be something we only do on Sunday mornings, no, our lives should be saturated with it!
Praise Him when you awake.
Praise Him before you lay down to sleep.
Praise Him in the car on your way to work.
Praise Him while you cook dinner.
Praise Him in the shower.
Praise Him when you’re standing in line at the checkout.
Today, carve out time to lift up praise to God! He is worthy!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
The Holy Spirit has been reminding me of this devotion each and every day since I read it. No matter what we are facing, we must exalt and praise Him, “Satan and his minions can’t stand it when we exalt the name of Jesus and praise the Lord. They have no choice but to flee.” No matter what your going through, no matter where you are at this very moment, turn up your praise music super loud or lift up your voice and praise Him, they have no choice but to flee. Praise is Powerful! Hallelujah!
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
23
Jun '22
Love One Another
23
Jun '22
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34)
Jesus, You gave us the command to love others. At times, this is easier said than done. Please work within our hearts to transform our character so that our love begins to look more and more like Yours. Amen.
Lord, Here I am, send me. As The Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends you. I pray you are encouraged today to seek Him so you can know Him more and reflect His love to others.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!