Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

Praising God

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

We had some disturbing news this week and we are trying to work through a difficult situation with a property management company, so prayers are appreciated. In the meantime, God has called me to praise Him. When the circumstances are going well, praise Him. When everything is turned upside down, praise Him. Whether things work out or not, I’m trying to remain calm and focused on God who will take care of us, regardless.

My Scripture verses from my devotional this morning were just what I needed to start today. They are like a breath of fresh air to my soul. I had to remind myself today that nothing will happen that God and I can’t handle together. Of course, my husband is with me in this, too, but his constantly talking about the problem is wearing on me. I’m hoping that I can get him to take time to pray with me today about it, longer than a cursory, “God, take care of it for us” kind of thing. Anyway, I feel ready for a new day and I hope that you do, too.

O Lord by Lauren Daigle

I pray that each of you has a blessed and wonderful day, filled with His presence, His comfort and His love.

A Loving Eye

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

www.bible.com/111/psa.32.8.niv

Every parent knows that the best thing we can do for our children is to prepare them for life by consistently instructing them and teaching them, leading them in the right way. So this verse really touched my heart, especially the part about God’s eye being on us to counsel us. I remember my kids saying that I was giving them “that look” which they knew meant that whatever they were doing needed to stop immediately and they needed to make a choice to change their actions before I changed it for them. I also recall my students telling me that I had that look in my eyes that showed them that I meant business and that they needed to listen. They called it “the teacher eye.” With this Scripture today, it verifies that the look and the teacher eye were real and they are gifts from God, the One who loves us and uses that eye to counsel us. With just a look from the Father, we are advised to change our path, to go the right way, to choose wisely. Just as my children and my students knew exactly what I expected when I cast my eyes upon them, so do we when God looks at us and clearly speaks through His Word that we need to straighten up and fly right!

A Prayer for Love, Knowledge and Insight

On By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

It has been almost twenty years since our youngest child left home for college. That was the beginning of the end of having children at home, the beginning of becoming an “empty nester.” When each child left, I gave them plenty of advice: finances, relationships, and finding a good church to go to. I prayed for them daily; in fact, their names and a prayer were never far from my thoughts and still are. But this prayer that I found in my devotional this morning is what I should have been praying for all of these years.

It is Paul’s prayer for the Philippians, but it is also a prayer that we can and should apply to all of our loved ones. For it is in this prayer that we find the love, the knowledge and the insight necessary to fulfill a life of promise in Christ. It is a prayer for making good choices and to one day be able to stand before the Lord “blameless.” It’s not enough to know God’s Word; it has to be applied to one’s life. That is my prayer for my children, for my friends, for other family members and for my lost loved ones and friends. Jesus saves. He left us the Holy Spirit to give us insight and discernment, His Word to give us knowledge. If we stay close to Him, we “abound in love.” How can we do any less than love others when He chose to die for all?

Yes, I pray for our children daily. I also pray for others whom God brings to my mind. Prayer is a powerful weapon in the hands of the saints of God. We need to use it as Paul did, to teach and to bless.

Have a blessed day filled with abounding love, knowledge and insight!

He Is Worthy

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/1sa.12.24.mev

This is an admonition from my devotional this morning. It’s one to memorize and keep in our hearts, Fearing the Lord is giving Him the reverence He deserves. He is a good Father. We are to serve Him daily. How? By following His Word. Jesus’s last commandment to His disciples was to “go…and tell.” If that is what Jesus told His followers then, isn’t He saying the same thing to us now? Finally, we are to think about all of the great things He has done for us. In doing that, we focus on thanksgiving and the positive things in our lives. There is so much for which to be thankful! This verse encapsulates what our relationship with the Lord should be on a daily basis.

God bless you as you go through today with fear of the Lord, serving Him with thanksgiving in your hearts. He is worthy!

The Reward Is Life

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

www.bible.com/111/pro.10.16.niv

If we are the children of the Lord, the end result of our labors on earth is life, eternity with our Savior and our God. It is imperative that we teach the Gospel to as many as possible before we leave this earth because their end is death, an eternal separation from God. Many preachers today are saying that there is no hell, no judgment. The Word of God clearly points out repeatedly that hell does exist and that it was not made for man originally, but if man persists in sin, then death is the consequence.

What makes someone righteous? Belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior! There is nothing, not one thing, that we can do to earn salvation and eternal life. Jesus already paid the price in full for each believer.

What makes someone wicked? A constant choice to sin. Note that word, choice. Sin is a choice. You don’t fall into sin. It doesn’t reach out and grab you. You make a choice to sin once. Then, as time goes on, the choice becomes easier, almost automatic. You look around and your life has changed because of your choices.

Each day, we all have choices to make. The righteous make choices based on our belief that Jesus died for us. For me, I don’t want to disappoint Him or cause Him any more suffering than what He already went through for me. So, I strive to please Him, often asking Him what I should do before I make a decision. Likewise, the wicked make choices, too, but they believe that the only one that they answer to is themselves. Humanism is rampant in earth today. It’s broadcast on every news channel, on every radio station, the evil choices that men are making without any consideration for the eternal consequences.

Our mission on earth, as Jesus’s followers, is to take as many people with us to Heaven as we can. We share the Gospel, tell the wicked that there is a different choice for them, a choice that means eternal life instead of eternal damnation. Sharing the Gospel is not a choice for us; it is a commission from the One who saved us. God is holding back His judgment on the earth so that as many as possible can be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but he will allow it to happen because He is righteous and just. Right now, I believe that He is showing His mercy, but that will not always be so. May He open the eyes and ears of the wicked to hear and accept His truth and may we be His willing servants to tell that truth to others.

God bless each of you that you may accept and go forth today with the Word of Truth in your hearts and on your lips, ready to tell those who need to hear.

Promises of Strength and Peace

On By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/psa.29.11.mev

This Scripture verse is made to order for me this morning, and I hope that the promises it contains bless you, too. Just when I was thinking that I could not take one more bit of bad news about the current presidency in the USA and the pandemic and the scary attitudes toward Christians, God gave me this verse to read, to remind me of His promises that never end. He continues to strengthen us and give us peace during some challenging times. I’m convinced that the times will become more challenging and dangerous for those who believe in Jesus as Lord. But I’m also convinced that the strength and peace that God promises will still be there for us. Good news! His promises aren’t just for the good times; they are for every day, no matter what we face. Daniel faced the lion’s den and knew these promises firsthand. Jesus went to the cross and knew the peace and strength of being the Son of God, resolute in His determination to carry out the will of His Father. I’m not saying that I want to go into a lion’s den or even that I’m there now. But I know that I am called to carry my cross daily and sometimes that means being kind to the people who are not kind to me. I’m saying that God will meet each of us wherever we are in our walks with Him and give us the strength and peace we need to continue our faith journey.

God bless you today with His peace and strength. May you feel Him near and hear Him whisper of His great love for you.

Why We Are Blessed

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

www.bible.com/111/2co.9.8.niv

God blesses us abundantly. That means more than we need. An abundance is having your arms full, with the packages overflowing and about to fall out of your hands because there are so many. God wants to make sure that we have all that we need, in all ways: physically, spiritually and emotionally. Then, we can take from that abundance and use it for good works in order to bless others. We bless others in ALL things at ALL times. Let that sink in. We are not to hold on to the blessings of God; rather, we are to use them to bless others. How the world would change if we all follow through and accept this promise as God means it to be. We are blessed to be a blessing! Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends!

Daily Prayer

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/psa.25.5.mev

Not just today, Lord, but every day, let each of us trust in You. You do lead us by your truth, the truth found in your Word. It is up to us to open it daily, read it, meditate on it and memorize it. It in in putting the Word into our hearts that we learn that You are worthy of our trust.

My prayer for each of you today is for a place in your heart that craves the Word of God and that you learn to trust Him with all of your heart. It begins with relationship. Have a blessed and safe day.

Repentance

On By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/jon.3.10.mev

This Scripture verse, of course, refers to Nineveh, but it could just as well refer to the United States of America, or any other nation today. It is not enough to tell God that we are sorry for our sins. We have to TURN from them. True repentance is turning away from the sin and heading in a new direction. This is not an admonition just for believers, but for everyone. Imagine if politicians turned away from lying and started telling the truth. Imagine a world in which everyone you meet is totally genuine and showing love and generosity to each other, really concerned about the eternal destiny of each human being that they meet.

Imagine with me, if you will, a world in which Jesus’s sacrifice is what is foremost in the minds of everyone, so that each and every individual is ready to sacrifice to represent Him to a lost and dying world. Turning away from sin does not just mean a flippant promise that you will “try” not to do it again. It actually means turning your back on that sin and focusing on a totally new direction. We all have hidden sins that we need to turn away from, and my fervent desire is for lost mankind to turn from our sins so that God will not bring the disaster that is surely coming. Yes, His judgment is inevitable, but a true change of heart and a real turning away from sin and toward God can change God’s mind about the timing of His judgment.

I believe that God has held back His judgment on America because of the Christians calling on His Name and asking for mercy. Now we need to turn from sin, call on His Name and pray that the coming disastrous judgment not occur. Possible? Well, God is no respecter of persons and He listened to the call of the Ninevites for mercy. I would like to point out, however, that this repentance in Nineveh started with the ruler. I’m not convinced that our rulers in the U.S. even know God, much less are ready to call out to Him for His mercy. Time will tell, but it’s not looking good these days.

I will close by reminding each of you that you are responsible for your own sin and your own repentance, but you are also responsible to tell others about God’s grace and His Son who gives eternal life. Others cannot repent if they don’t know that they have to. And they need to be told what true repentance is. Sin cost the life of the Only Son of God. True repentance brings us into the fold as His children and whether God holds back His judgment or not, don’t we want as many as possible to know the Gospel and to believe in Him? Pray today and every day for the opportunity to share the Good News with others, because I fear that the days are coming when we will not be allowed to share about Jesus and the salvation that He brings. Pray hard, my friends, for the night of judgment is coming. Turn away from sin and take as many others with you, those who are willing to repent.

Be blessed today that you may be a blessing to others.

Proverbs 8

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/pro.8.19.mev

What can bring something more precious than silver and gold to your life? Wisdom! The knowledge that only comes from knowing and listening to God. I encourage you to read all of this proverb this morning and then ask God for wisdom to handle whatever situation you find yourself facing. He knows just what the solution is to every problem! He is the only wise God and He chooses to give us His wisdom.

May you be blessed today with wisdom that can only come from spending time at the throne of God!