Protect My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy for our hearts to wander. Temptation, disappointment, deferred hope, loss, heartache, lust, greed, anger, jealousy, Spiritual apathy, and isolation are just some of the ways that our hearts can become sinful and unbelieving. We must do all we can in order not to be deceived and lose heart. Paul shares three ways to protect our hearts. He writes, “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.” Fixing our thoughts on Jesus will keep us from “heart” failure. He will help keep our hearts at peace and joy. In Philippians, Paul writes, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Here we see that the protection of our heart starts with our head. We need to fix our thoughts on Jesus and those things that build us up. In today’s verse, Paul gives another way to protect our hearts. He writes, “Encourage one another daily.” Isolation can be a “kiss of death” to our hearts. We get alone in our pity party, and soon we find ourselves self-feeling hopeless, alone, and unbelieving. Instead, we need to fellowship with others. Today, find a friend and share your thoughts. Let them encourage you, pray for you, and help you with your burden. You can then do the same for someone else. Whatever else you do today, protect your heart!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for the times I allow my heart to become sinful and unbelieving. Help me to fix my thoughts on Jesus and those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Help me to seek the fellowship of others that can, in turn, help me and encourage me. Lord, protect my heart, I pray. In Jesus Name.
AMEN

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Two Sins

TODAY’S VERSE
My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Separation from God usually comes in two phases. First, we start to stray. Little by little, we start to forsake fellowship, fail to meditate in His word and spend less and less time in prayer. Good things take us from the more important. Urgent begins to replace the best. How subtle the path is. We end up farther and farther away from the spiritual milieu that once fed our soul. Second, we not only stray we actually find a new home. Jeremiah says not only do we forsake the spring of living water; we actually go out and dig our own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold any water. They look great on the outside but are empty on the inside. Where are you today? Are you straying farther and farther from God? Have you actually moved away and found other interests that take top priority in your life? Stop! Go no farther. Turn back. Come to your Heavenly Father today and ask Him to cleanse your heart and put a new thirst in your soul leading you back to His spring of living water.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for straying from You. I have forsaken Your living waters and have attempted to quench my own thirst. I admit that I am still thirsty. I know that only You can satisfy, and I ask Lord that You would fill my cup today with Your life-giving presence.
AMEN

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Soften Your Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.”
Jeremiah 4:3 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever tried planting vegetables in a patch of weeds? I did once, and it was a disaster. Instead of breaking up the soil and getting rid of the weeds, I had heard that laying plastic down and cutting a slit for the seeds was easier. It made sense to me. So I planted the seeds and thought the plastic would stop the weeds. Perhaps that would have been true if I used black plastic. But I used clear! Hello! Without knowing it, I created a greenhouse for weeds! So much for my shortcut. Barely a vegetable survived. How much better had I plowed the row, planted the seeds, and then systematically take out the weeds? This is what God wants us to do with our hearts. We are to take our spiritually hardened hearts and break up the soil. We do this by letting God’s word humble us, teach us, correct us, and guide us. Through His Spirit, God takes out the weeds that have grown in our hearts. When we allow this, God then replaces the weeds with the fruit of the Spirit. Is your heart hardened toward the things of God? Soften it today through prayer, a humble attitude, and His word.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I give You my heart. I ask You to break up the hardened ground and pull out all the weeds. Take the seeds of your word and create the fruit of the Spirit in my life.
AMEN

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Come

TODAY’S VERSE
“Come, follow me,’ Jesus said”
Matthew 4:19

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Come is one of the most beautiful words in the Bible. It is an offer to participate in something. An invitation to move in a certain direction. It is only as good as the person requesting you to come and the object which you are moving toward. Today God offers so much for you to partake of. He offers you the ultimate relationship with Himself and all that goes with it. What is it your soul desires? Come. What is it that you find missing in your life? Come. Are you weary? Come and find rest. Are you poor in Spirit? Come, take your inheritance. Is your heart thirsty? Come. Do you desire peace, joy, forgiveness, strength, hope, and love? Come. Today, hear the voice of the Lord. He is calling out to you. All you need to do is come.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You love me, and today I hear Your voice say, “Come.” So I come to You dear Lord with open arms and heart. I come to You in humility and anticipation to receive all that You have for me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Strength Of My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Psalms 73:26 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Asaph, the author of this Psalm, was a bitter man. He was envious of the wealthy and upset at his demise. He was consumed at what he thought was unfair about life. But then he came to his senses. He writes, “Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant”. How many have we times have we felt the same way? But who says life is fair?” Where in the Bible does it say everything in life is going to be grand? Where does it say that we will be spared from pain and heartache? Fortunately, Asaph awoke from his bitterness with the realization of what really mattered. He wrote, “Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.” Asaph realized what was the most important thing in life. He said it all in today’s passage, “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” It is the strength of the heart that comes from knowing God that matters. Paul said it this way, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Our circumstances may crumble, our bodies fail, our enthusiasm all but gone, yet God will never, never, never leave us or forsake us. The strength of our heart from His abiding presence will remain with us forever.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me to truly understand what it is to have You as the strength of my heart. Help me treasure Your relationship above all else. Thank You for loving me and being my strength forever.
AMEN

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Which Way Do I Go?

TODAY’S VERSE
Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Psalms 77:19-20 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Life’s pathways are not always smooth. There are many times when the terrain is rough at best. What do we do then? Thank God He is the one who promised to get us through to the other side. In today’s passage, we see that God was able to lead the Israelites through what seemed to be an impossible pathway. The Jews had left Egypt and were heading to the promised land when they ran smack into the Red Sea. I am sure that many of the people wondered what kind of path God had led them on. But the scriptures are clear; God had led them on a road that went through the Red Sea, a path that ran through the mighty waters. It was a road no one but God knew was there. He offers the same to us. He is the great shepherd. He is the one who can make our crooked paths straight. He is the one who turned the Red Sea into dry ground. So, what terrain are you on? What is your path like? Is it steep, full of sharp rocks, high cliffs, and loose footing? Does it take you through dark forests and thorny underbrush? There was a song we sung as little children that you can take comfort in. It said, “My God knows the way through the wilderness. All I have to do is follow.” Today, choose to trust God. Follow Him. He has a path you know nothing about. He is the Great Shepherd; He will get you home.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know the journey I am on. You know the path I am following. Please guide me, Lord. Help me know which way to go. You are the Great Shepherd, be my shepherd today I pray.
AMEN

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God’s Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Our God is the God of second chances and more. Here is Peter coming to Jesus. He asks what he thinks is a very serious question. “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Peter was going out on a limb. Seven times is a lot of forgiveness. But Jesus responded in a way only God could. He said to Peter, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Forgiving someone seven times is incredible but the grace of God is so much more than we can comprehend. Peter heard about it that day but later he experienced it. Three times Peter denied Christ and he was forgiven. Three times Jesus had to tell Peter to “feed my sheep” until Peter fully understood his mission. Finally, in the book of Acts, three times God had to show Peter the vision of a blanket with non-kosher food on it, telling him to go ahead and eat the food. This was illustrating to Peter that God loved the gentiles and that Peter was to go and share the gospel with them. God was patient with Peter. How has He been patient with you? What has He forgiven you of? Where has God exercised grace in your life? Today, appreciate the extraordinary grace of God in your life. Truly He is the God of grace a God of many chances.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace. How patient You are with me. How forgiving You are. How wonderful has Your love and mercy been to me. Thank You for forgiving me more than seven times seventy.
AMEN

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Where Are You Walking?

TODAY’S VERSE
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. — For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-2, 10

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Not all walking is the same. There is a stroll down the beach on a beautiful sunny day. Is there anything better than hearing the waves slap the shore, the sounds of birds above and feeling the warm sun on your face? How about a hike down a mountain path? Beautiful horizons, breathtaking waterfalls, and exotic foliage as you walk back to the valley below. But then there is the walk from the car into the hospital after you have received news of a loved one who has been admitted. Or the terrifying walk into a courtroom as you face a legal battle. Or how about a walk looking for somewhere warm to sleep when you are homeless, living out in the streets. Not all walks are the same. Paul is writing about the contrast in two different types of walk. The first walk Paul talks about is a death walk. Walking through each day spiritually dead because of our own disobedience and sins, obeying the devil the commander of this world. The second walk Paul talks about is the walk of purpose and meaning. Paul writes that this is living as if we really believed we are the personal workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus for good works. This is walking through life with a meaning, a purpose and a mission greater than ourselves. Where are you walking? You have a choice. You don’t have to go down the walk of death. Today, choose life. Choose to follow Christ and walk with Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me walk with You. You know the times I have wandered down dead-end streets and alleys and ended up spiritually bankrupt. Help me walk today in the kind of life You created me for. I choose to follow You.
AMEN

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Wake Up

TODAY’S VERSE
Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
Acts 12:8-9 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Peter was being set free from prison by an angel and did not even know it. He thought he was dreaming. Isn’t that a lot like us? Jesus came along and said that if we hold to His teachings, we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. What truth? The truth found in what Jesus taught. He taught that we could have a relationship with Him; that He would love us unconditionally; He would give us peace that passes all our understanding; He would forgive us of all our sins; and that He came to give us an abundant life. What promises, what a spiritual reality, and yet, like Peter, our walk gives us away. Peter was walking in a trance. He did not realize he was being set free. How many mornings do we awaken only to walk in a spiritual stupor, go to work and live out our day as if God did not even exist? How many days have we spent defeated, far from the reality of victory that Jesus promises? Thankfully, Peter came to senses, woke up and realized that he was indeed free from jail. We need to do the same thing. We need to wake up! It is time to get the sleeping dust out of our eyes and wake up to the tremendous Spiritual reality that God has for us.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I want to know what it is to be Spiritually free, free from all that is holding me down, that is chaining me in bondage. Wake me up, Father, that I may see the reality of the freedom You have given me in Christ Jesus my Lord.
AMEN

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Rescue Me

TODAY’S VERSE
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.– What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:15, 24-25 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How many times have we found ourselves in this dilemma? We sit in the aftermath of some mess we have just created and wonder, “How in the world did I get here?” Paul knew what it felt like to utterly fail at trying to change his behavior. Who can’t relate to this passage? At the end of the day, we have all felt like the “wretched man” that Paul is writing about. Dr. William Backus, in his book, “Learning To Tell Myself The Truth” explains it this way, “The sinfulness of human nature, man’s deepest spiritual disorder, involves a quarrel with God. Springing from this rift are underlying false beliefs about God and His attitude toward us (Spiritual misbeliefs), which in turn lead to untruthful thoughts, thoughts that affect our feelings and behavior and created difficulties in our relationship with others.” Out of these core misbeliefs, come all sorts of evil. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He asks, “Who will rescue me?” Then he gives a resounding answer, “Jesus Christ our Lord.” Backus says it this way, “The reality of sin and its effects in our daily lives is not the final word. As Christians, we have the ultimate good news, the key to a healthier spiritual core.” Today, come to Christ for cleansing. Accept His total forgiveness. Ask Him to point out any Spiritual lies that are dragging you down. Throw off “wretched man” thinking and accept His grace, love, and forgiveness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, You know my temptations, struggles, and failures. I confess I have believed lies about You that I need to get rid of. Help me know what they are and begin my inner cleansing. Thank You that Jesus Christ has rescued me.
AMEN

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