Receiving His Love

TODAY’S VERSE
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way.
Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There is a fine line between doing good to earn someone’s affection and doing good because you already have it. Take God. He created us out of love. He has redeemed us out of love. We don’t have to earn His favor. We become His child through the acceptance of His finished work on the Cross. From then on, it is love and gratitude that motivate us. But some of us have a hard time receiving that kind of unconditional love. What kind of marriage would it be if we had to constantly earn our spouse’s love? Wouldn’t it be a shame to have a spouse who loves you so much, and yet, because you couldn’t receive that love, you constantly feel as if you must earn it? It is the same way with God. Yes, Paul asks us to “live a life worthy of the Lord” and to “live in a way that pleases God.” But nowhere does it intimate that we should live this way to earn His love. Instead, the Apostle John wrote that we should love God because He first loved us. Today, rejoice in the love that the Father has for you. Love God because His love for you is secure. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your love. Thank You that I don’t need to earn it. I don’t have to live under fear and condemnation; rather, I can simply enjoy Your favor. Help me to truly receive Your kindness and Your abiding love.
AMEN

______________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Take No Revenge

TODAY’S VERSE
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.
Romans 12:19 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Revenge. What a toxic emotion. What a deceptive motive. It is so easy to slip into this deadly trap. It starts with a wound—perhaps a deep hurt, humiliation, or betrayal. Life isn’t fair, but this is just too much! Soon, our wound festers, and anger becomes an obsession. But what makes revenge so deceptive is that we don’t have to murder someone to get revenge. Instead, we feel justified in slandering the person, shunning them, campaigning against something they are doing, or a million other ways of getting nasty. But this is not revenge. It is getting even, giving them what they deserve, or settling the score. No, it is revenge. It is hard not to go there. What can we do? Paul shares the only thing we can do. Let go. Give it to God. Let Him take over your case. The author of Hebrews was serious when he wrote, “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”  Today, follow that advice. Let God search your heart and pull out any bitter root that has taken ground in your emotions. Don’t let a wound fester into something worse. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, search my heart. Show me any toxic bitterness I may have. Show me any attitude or behavior of revenge. Forgive me and help me change my attitude. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

_________________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Renewed

TODAY’S VERSE
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
Colossians 3:10 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul starts this passage by writing, “But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.” What a list. And how many times have we tried to do this? The only way we can successfully eliminate these negative characteristics is by getting rid of our old sinful nature. However, the best way to “put off” our old nature is to focus on “putting on” the new! But how? We can do it by getting to know our Creator God and becoming more like Him. God has put in us the capacity to know Him. His Holy Spirit inside us guides us, and as we attune ourselves to Him, the renewing of our mind takes place. Today, spend time with God. Get to know Him and experience His presence and immense love for you. Let Him speak to your heart. As you do, you will experience yourself becoming renewed.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I want to know You more. I want to experience Your presence more. I want to be renewed more and more so I can be like You.
AMEN

______________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Oblivious To God’s Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Every time I visit Southern California, I am overwhelmed by the number of people I meet there who seem oblivious to the fact that they live in paradise. The mountains, sun, and surf are all around them, but they don’t see it. All they see is the everyday struggles of life. It is like that with God’s grace. We can get so bogged down with life that we don’t see all the grace that God has brought into our lives. Not so with the Apostle John. Instead John starts out his Gospel with an overwhelming appreciation for the grace that God has for us. He writes that we have all received grace from God manifested in “one gracious blessing after another.” He introduces this manifesto of grace in contrast to the Law that was given through Moses. Moses gave us the Law, but Jesus gave us God’s grace. This grace was manifested in God’s unfailing love and faithfulness toward us through the death and resurrection of Christ. What about you? How is your life? Are you experiencing God’s unfailing love? Are you aware of His many blessings? Do you appreciate His faithfulness toward you? Or have you been like the person walking a few miles from the beach, totally unaware of all its beauty and serenity? Today, stop and take the time to consciously acknowledge God’s many blessings given to you. Rejoice in His wonderful grace and faithfulness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for taking Your love and faithfulness for granted. Thank You for Your unfailing love and grace toward me.
AMEN

_________________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

The Gift Of Peace

TODAY’S VERSE
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What a gift! Jesus said He was leaving us with a gift of peace of mind and heart. What a gift that we so desperately need. In his book, The Way Of The Warrior, Erwin McManus writes, “With simplicity and wisdom, he cuts between the two things that steal our peace, for the greatest enemies of the peace within are worry and fear. – While worry will rob our joy, fear will steal our freedom – When we are anxious, we lose our strength. When we are afraid, we lose our courage.” Who of us doesn’t worry? Who of us doesn’t have fear? Jesus said that in this world, we will have tribulation! But in today’s verse, Jesus also says that we will have His peace. Paul writes, “ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Coming to God in prayer is the solution for all our anxiety and troubling fears. It is a wonderful gift from Jesus. The only trouble with a gift is that you have to receive it. Don’t let Jesus’ gift to you sit there unopened! Lay down your worries and fears. Accept His peace today.  

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Jesus, You know how I worry and fear. Today, I come and lay all my worries and fears before you. Take my anxiety; I accept Your gift of peace of mind and heart.
AMEN

______________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Your Spiritual Gifts

TODAY’S VERSE
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Are you aware that God has given you specific passions and abilities to use for His glory? God has given every believer at least one spiritual gift for doing His will in this world. And then His Holy Spirit nudges you to use it through a strong desire to serve Him in a way that seems to make sense for you. Paul gives examples of serving, teaching, giving, and leadership. So, if different people all see a need, like helping the homeless in the community, He could motivate one to serve food at a shelter, another to teach at a job readiness class, another to give of their income to provide for the needed shelter and yet another to lead a church to get involved. Each person reacted to the same problem through how God motivated them, using the gifts he blessed them with. Today, ask God to reveal the different ways you could serve Him. He has given you spiritual gifts and will show you when and where to use them. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for giving me spiritual gifts. Help me learn everything I can about them and use them for your glory.
AMEN
You can go to http://www.ronovitt.com/gifts for your FREE Spiritual Gifts Assessment.

________________________________________________

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gifts Are?
Now You Can. CLICK HERE to Get your FREE Spiritual Gifts Survey

For more information, go to http://www.ronovitt.com

Love The Giver More Than The Gifts

TODAY’S VERSE
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.” – At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
John 6:26, 66-67 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Sometimes we don’t get it. Our priorities get all mixed up. Like many who followed Jesus, we follow Him for the food and miracles. We want His blessings. We have the offer of a deep relationship with God, but instead, we seek the blessings. But what happens when blessings don’t come? What happens when the job we wanted doesn’t pan out, sickness interrupts our plans, and our children don’t act as we think they should? When our eyes are on our circumstances and not our creator, it is easy to get discouraged. We can lose hope and become bitter. Why? Because we have worshipped the gifts and not the giver, the blessings, and not the blesser. Today, we need to renew our love for God. Knowing Him is the real blessing. We need to love God, who alone is the source of our joy. No matter what circumstances come our way, we will find true peace and joy as we develop a relationship with God and truly love Him. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me love You today more than ever. Help me seek You more than Your blessings. Help me understand Your love for me and the incredible joy that is mine when I follow You.
AMEN

________________________________________________

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gifts Are?
Now You Can. CLICK HERE to Get your FREE Spiritual Gifts Survey

For more information, go to http://www.ronovitt.com

Our Core Beliefs

TODAY’S VERSE
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Does it seem hard to believe some of the Scriptures? We read today’s passage, and if we listen closely, we can hear an inner dialog that starts to deny whether it is true. It may be, “Why should God help me?” “God didn’t help me last time.” It could be a muffled sound from a deeper level saying, “I don’t deserve His help.” “It will never work out.” These lies keep us from believing the truth of God’s love for us. I wish I could simply say, “Hey, stop believing a lie and believe the truth,” and everything would work out. But it isn’t that easy. You see, the core lies we believe about ourselves are believed emotionally and are hard to overcome. We have made agreements with them. Simply pointing out the lies we believe will not change anything. I need Jesus to tell me the truth about myself. He needs to help me hear the truth emotionally with authority; then, I will be free to destroy the lie and embrace the truth. Today, ask Jesus to point out destructive lies that you are believing about yourself. Bring those lies to Jesus and ask Him for the truth. The truth will set you free. Free to believe all that He has promised.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I am often hampered by the lies I believe. I have wounds, hurts, and scars that have left me believing the wrong things. I need you to show me the lies and then speak the truth to my heart. Set me free, Jesus, to believe the truth about who I am in Your eyes.
AMEN

________________________________________________

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gifts Are?
Now You Can. CLICK HERE to Get your FREE Spiritual Gifts Survey

For more information, go to http://www.ronovitt.com

Choices

TODAY’S VERSE
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Choices can make all the difference in the world. Of course, not all options are equal. It probably won’t matter much if you had meatloaf or fish for dinner. However, what you choose to commit your life to does. Jesus constantly challenged us about our commitments. We can measure our commitments by looking at what we consider important. Jesus said it this way, “Where our treasures are, there will our heart be also.” So what do we have to choose today? Will you choose things that matter? Will serving God permeate the choices you make? Given other options, will you choose God’s peace, joy, and love? Make choices based on the things that God values. Today, choose whom you will serve.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know that I don’t always make good choices, but today, I choose You. I choose to follow You. I pray that You will help me make the right choices.
AMEN

_____________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail

Come Boldly To God

TODAY’S VERSE
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:15,16 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The author of Hebrews uses the High Priest as a model of Christ. It was the High Priest who represented the Israelites to God, confessed their sins, and gave an offering for their offenses. To do this, he would first have to confess his own sins. He would have to make a sacrifice for his own failings. Then, after his cleansing, he could represent the people. You see, there was a limit to what the High Priest could do. He couldn’t help the people stop their sins. He could not meet the individual needs of the people. Today, God has created a better way. He has sent Himself to be our High Priest. God, in the person of Jesus Christ, came once and for all time and sacrificed Himself so we could be forgiven. More than that, Christ is on the right hand of the Father, interceding for our every need. He knows your weaknesses, so He gives you complete access to His love, power, mercy, and grace. If you know Him, you can say with confidence that He is “my” Savior. When Christ became your High Priest, He made it personal. Today, come to God’s very throne. Come to the one who loves you and has everything you need.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I thank You for sacrificing Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I thank You for knowing who I am, You know my weaknesses, and You still love me. I especially thank You for promising to care for my every need with Your mercy and grace. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

______________________________________________

NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

CLICK HERE to send this to a friend

You can get this Daily Devotional sent to your e-mail as “Moment In the Word”. CLICK HERE to have this Daily E-votional sent to your e-mail