your daily crossroad

 

Trust Him to Fulfill His Promises

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)
 
Being patient isn’t always easy. We live in a world of fast-paced hustle culture that demands things on the fly and gets upset at the slightest inconvenience. While there is nothing wrong with being productive, the Lord did not call us to live in a hasty mindset.
 
Getting tangled up in the chaos and stress of the frenzied world will only make us dull to His presence in our lives. When we allow ourselves to slow down and let the dust settle, we realize God has been with us and lovingly gazing at us the whole time, waiting for us to gaze right back.
 
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
 
Mastering patience is a lifetime journey, but it helps when we know God is with us throughout the whole process. You can rejoice in His hope, knowing He will return someday and take you with Him to be with forever. All the worries, stress, and problems of this life will no longer mean anything.
 
Until then, we can glorify Him on this earth and fellowship with Him in constant hope-filled prayer, trusting in Him to fulfill His promises. 
 
This devotion blessed me. I was reminded of James 4:8, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Today, allow the dust to settle and run into His open arms.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


His Watchful Nature

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
 
As we go through this life, we never have to fear being unprotected. The Lord tells us He is the good shepherd, the One who will give up His own life and watch over us continually until we go to be with Him for eternity.
 
Even when we wander astray, we are never too far gone for us to be out of His reach.
 
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
 
When fear tries to claw at your heart, remember the good shepherd is armed and guards you with a vengeance. Even if you fall into a pit, He will pull you back with the hooked end of His staff.
 
Any time you have to face your fears, remember you don’t face them alone. The Lord has even gone before you and made a way for you to pass through.
 
Today, rest in the wonderful comfort of His watchful nature and constant protection.
 
Today’s devotion blessed me. May we trust God with today’s needs and challenges. For He’s real and He’s there, and far greater than our worries. If He tenderly looks after the birds and the flowers, won’t He look after you, His child? The answer is yes, without a doubt.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


He Will Never Leave us to Despair in Loneliness

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. (Psalm 139:1-2)
 
Did you know your thoughts are so precious to the Lord, that He reads each one? For some people, that may be unsettling. However, we have no reason to fret because of this.
 
We get to take comfort in the fact that there is Someone whom we can never hide from, because it means He will never leave us to despair in loneliness.
 
God loves and knows you so deeply, He has even memorized when you rise and fall!
 
If you’ve ever fought with your mind and the thoughts that relentlessly scramble in and out, the Lord understands. The enemy of our soul, the devil, works tirelessly to influence our thinking and attack our minds. This means we need to stay alert and put on the helmet of salvation daily in order to combat it.
 
Whenever a distracting or hurting thought comes into your mind, remember who you are and Who you belong to.
 
You are a child of God, whose salvation has been secured by the cross! No amount of attacks from the enemy can ever change that binding truth. 
 
I pray you are blessed by this devotion. Never forget who you belong to and when the enemy of your soul reminds you of your mistakes. Overcome him. Fight his tactics with truth. Faith comes by hearing. Speak God’s word out loud. God is the only constant upon whom you can depend. Trust Him
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Don’t Forget to Remember & Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) 
 
How wonderful is this truth? The Lord is the source of our joy and strength! We don’t have to put pressure on ourselves to try to dig up joy where it cannot be found. 
 
God has everything we need in this life and beyond! Because we have been united with Christ, He is the giver of our hope, peace, comfort, joy and strength.  

Even in difficult seasons, you can still have His joy. His word says to be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life! 
 
We don’t have to wait for life to be perfect and problem-free in order to access all that He has for us. Since He is always with you, the joy and peace of His life-changing presence is always available to you.
 
When you accepted Jesus into your heart, He sanctioned you to rise above all circumstances of life. As children of God, we are not held down by the weight of the world.
 
As you go through today, ponder on what He has done for you and all He’s already given. Whispering His name and saying, “Jesus, you are my joy” is all it takes to remind you of His never-changing presence.
 
When I read this devotion I was reminded of an excerpt by one of my favorite Christian authors, and I had the share it. “Remembering the specific ways [God has] been faithful in the past trains us to look for evidences of His goodness, might, faithfulness, love, mercy and protection in the future. Don’t forget to remember.” 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Seek Him

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity . . .(Jeremiah 29:13-14) 
 
Have you ever felt like you could not find God in your life? Sometimes we get so busy and the noise in our head gets so loud, we can’t feel or see Him anymore. The truth is though, He has not left you and never will! 
 
His word says you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart. Not a little or half, but all. He doesn’t expect perfection in this pursuit, but persistency. The effort and willingness of your heart to look for Him is what pleases Him!
 
Pushing through the distractions of life will also force your mind into focusing on Him. This is a challenge that ultimately brings blessings…your end success is indisputable: He will be found by you! 

The more you seek Him, the more you will find Him. The more you find Him, the more you will love Him.
 
When I read this devotion it blessed me. Despite whatever distractions you face today, remind yourself of Him and His love as you press through. Whether you feel a change or not, every time you focus on Him will bring you one step closer to finding Him.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


You Are Mine

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. (Isaiah 43:1)
 
How comforting is it to know we are so intimately regarded by our king?
 
Because He calls you by name, you never have to feel like just a number or a statistic to Him among a sea of souls. His involvement and interest in your life is beyond your human comprehension.
 
After all, He knows the very number of hairs on your head! Surely if He is able to know something as miniscule as that, how much more does He care for you in other details of your life?
 
The more we spend time in His word, the more we can hear Him speaking to us personally through the scriptures.  

Rest easy in the assurance of His love and the redemption He purchased for you. This unchanging truth provides a firm foundation for your life, causing all fear to wash away.
 
Today, hear His love whisper in the depths of your spirit, calling you by name. 

“You are mine.”  
 
I love this devotion, I pray it blesses you. Remember, you are his…
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


He Will Never Forget You

. . . Yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)
 
Just think about that promise! The image we are given is of God engraving us on the palms of His hands. In other words, when you don’t want to forget something, you might write it on your hand. God loves you so much, that He is telling you there is no way He will ever forget you.
 
You are not too much for Him to handle. Your past isn’t too bad that He can’t forgive you. You are not too old or too young. He loves you so much that He will never forget you. How amazing is that?
 
Be comforted and joyful in this; the God of the Universe cannot forget us! We engrave special things that we want to commemorate.
 
Take heart today that God is so intimately involved in your life, that He has you engraved on His palm.
 
When I read this devotion it blessed me. Nothing can change what God feels for you. Never forget that.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Pure in Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) 
 
To be pure in heart means to be blameless, clean, or pruned. Repeatedly in Scripture, Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches. Because He loves us, He wants to mature our faith. One of the ways He does that is through allowing trials. Trials prune us and produce fruit in our lives.   
 
Though the process of growth may be painful or require us to change, we are promised to see God when we submit. When we give Him our hopes, desires, dreams and purposes, we allow him to share in our growth and be a part of our journey. We get the unique opportunity as children of God to allow him to take away those things that are hindering us or that need to be removed from our lives. Through this process, we become more and more like him. Ask God if your heart is purely seeking him, or if you may need some pruning. 

When I read this devotion I was reminded of Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Allow Christ to be a part of your journey today and be open to change, you won’t be disappointed.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Find Rest Today

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29)
 
A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that would attach two animals to one another so they could pull a plow. What in your life is heavy on your heart or weighing you down? 
 
What burden have you tried to carry alone? Jesus tells us to take His yoke, and learn from Him, because He is gentle, and in Him we will find rest. 
 
Jesus never intended for us to carry life’s burdens alone. He doesn’t want us to live under the weight of past sins and regret. He wants us to give Him our sorrows and trust Him.
 
Are you carrying a burden from a past sin? Or maybe you keep reliving a regret, or embarrassment.
 
Are you ready to find rest today by allowing Christ to share in your burden? Will you allow him to join alongside you as you wrestle with life’s hurts and pains? 
 
This devotion blessed me. When your heart is heavy, and your mind is weak, turn to God, get on your knees, ask Him for guidance, patience and strength, because at the end of the day, He is the only one on whom you can depend. Laugh often, love much and enjoy life.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Lean into Him

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)
 
God is like a good parent who lovingly sets up boundaries to protect their child. A good parent guides their child, teaching and watching over them.
 
Just as parents desire their children’s obedience, God desires ours. When we follow His ways, we save ourselves from unnecessary hurt and pain.
 
This does not mean however, that we will not have pain and suffering. We live in an uncertain world that is full of hardships. Sometimes, we are not delivered out of our pain.
 
Instead, God calls us to persevere. He promises that even in our pain, He will be there to comfort us and guide us through it—until we are united with Him in heaven.
 
Are you relying on your own plan today? Are you asking God to deliver you from His plan and into your ideal? Instead, lean into Him, trusting that His path and direction is perfect. 
 
This devotion blessed me. God has a perfect plan for you and I. He never does it all at once, just step by step because He wants to teach us to walk by faith not by sight.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Seek Ye First

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) 
 
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of pain and brokenness in our world. We are barraged by hurts and sorrows on a daily basis. Shootings, hunger, and pain permeate our world. When we encounter these painful reminders of sin, it is difficult to hold on to the hope that God is still at work. But He is. He wants to see things set right. 
 
While we have to live in this deeply hurting and broken world, God doesn’t want us to feel hopeless. His desire is for us to seek His goodness and His kingdom. He wants to repair the places of deep sorrow and pain. When we chase after Him and His will, we get to be a small part of the larger story He is writing. We get to see some of that brokenness restored and lives healed.
 
What is God asking you to do today to grow His kingdom? How could you be an encouragement to those who are hurting? 

When I read this devotion I loved it. I pray you are encouraged to ask yourself those two very important question. What is God asking me to do today to grow His kingdom and How can I be an encouragement to those who are hurting? Less of me and more of Him. Amen!
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Rest in Him

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10) 
 
The neighborhood was quiet and still except for the melody of one small bird. He wasn’t bothered by the darkness or troubled by the storms and devastation of the previous night. He was waiting for the sunrise, singing his heart out. 
 
Isn’t hope like that little bird? It sings out in the midst of adversity. It isn’t dependent on circumstances and it isn’t a natural response.
 
Hope comes from knowing Jesus, the One, who desires to give you a future and a hope. Like the little bird singing in the still and quiet dawn, God calls to you to be still and quiet, so that He can speak to you and sing to your soul.
 
However, to be still is more than just being quiet. It is ceasing to strive to be in control of your life. By knowing God, you can rest in Him and trust His perfect plan.
 
What can you praise God for today?
 
I was blessed by this devotion. I pray after reading this, you are encouraged to rest in Him and know beyond all doubt, God is working on your behalf.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Dismissed and Misunderstood

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. (1 Peter 2:4)
 
Jesus was a precious and priceless King, but many never saw it.
 
Instead they saw him through the lens of their flesh and not with Kingdom eyes.    

When people reject us or don’t see our value, it is hard not to accept their reality as our own.

Jesus was dismissed and misunderstood; how much more will you experience this? 

We are being built into spiritual beings, layer by layer, inch by inch. 

Don’t let being misunderstood cause you fear or confusion.  Your Heavenly Father never loses sight of you.

Is my identity in the thoughts of people or the word of God? 

God says you were, “fearfully and wonderfully made.”! (Psalm 139
 
This devotion blessed me. So often Christians are rejected and misunderstood, especially now as we watch the world around us wax worse and worse. It’s so easy to be filled with fear and confusion but The Bible says in Luke 21:28, When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Don’t be discouraged be determined. God has you.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!


Let Him Lead

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. (1 Peter 1:24)
 
Flesh: the fragile, temporary things that will always change, wither and cannot last forever.
 
We grieve over the job we didn’t get, the house we can’t buy and the relationships that change. 
 
God says these things are like grass, beautiful for a short season then gone. 
 
He sees what we can’t see.  This life is a mere breath or vapor compared to our eternity and is not worthy of grief or sorrow.
 
We have earthly minds which make it hard to grasp eternity. 
 
God calls you into the depth of Him asking for childlike faith.  Your earth life is only preparation for the eternal life.
 
I open my hands and release plans. I release expectations. I release agendas. I will consciously let you lead, God.
 
When I read this devotion it reminded me of something I just read. When you release expectations and let God lead, you are free to enjoy things for what they are instead of what you think they should be. Let go and let God. 

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
 
 


Hunger and Thirst

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6) 
 
Do you ever wonder why life isn’t like a Hallmark movie? Do you ever wish it was? Things always seem to work out perfectly for the characters in those movies. But that isn’t life. 
 
Life is tough sometimes. And when you seek the wrong things, it just leaves you wanting more to fill the void.  

However, God’s word tells us that when we give thanks to Him and turn our hearts to Him, we find fulfillment. His word is His love letter to us. It is living and new every day.  
 
He wants you to invest time in it. He wants to meet your heart’s desires at the deepest level of your soul. God’s presence is always with you. His ways are higher than your ways. To know Him, you must spend time with Him. 
 
What are you thirsting for? Spend time with the living God of the universe and thirst no more. He desires to spend time with you!
 
After reading this devotion it reminded me of something I read, “There’s a whole new frontier laid out in front of you and me. It’s called 2021. It’s a good land, filled with opportunity and good things”. What am I thirsting for? Answer that question as you  venture out into this new frontier called 2021.
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!