Category: Scripture

From the Holy Bible

No Surprise: Everything Is Broken

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/20

This is an excellent devotional that hits you right between the eyes. The world is broken because of sin. We cannot expect life to be easy, but we can ask God for help through the hard times. One day, this world will go away, Jesus will return and all will be as God planned from the beginning. In the meantime, press into God, hold on and know that in the end, He wins!

Update on eyes: My macular degeneration is the same, a trace in one eye. I do have drier eyes which the ophthalmologist says is age-related. So, I am resting my eyes more, using my eye drops more frequently and praying my vision improves. Thank you all for your prayers. Please let me know how I can pray for you!

Show Humility and Grace to Others

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

Many go through life looking at others and comparing themselves. “Well, I have sinned, but at least, I didn’t…” The truth is that sin is sin and as this devotional states, we all have the same starting point. We all start as sinners saved by grace and we are all, prayerfully, moving closer to God in this life. So, showing grace to others is nothing less than what God would expect. If you listen to the video message that goes along with this study, you will hear the speaker say that we should not treat people the way people treat us; instead, we should treat others the way God treats us. Love, just love, and humility because we are all in this life together.

Learning to Live Humbly

Have you ever met an angry Christian?

You may have come across Christians who love to grumble, complain, or even speak harshly about other people. Maybe you’ve even been that person at times in your own life.

If we’re not careful, we can easily become self-righteous within Christianity. After all, we know the truth and others may not. You might see how tempting it can be to look down upon other people, demean them, or consider them as worse off than ourselves.

But this misses the point of the gospel of Jesus.

The gospel tell us that all of us begin at the same starting point. And it’s only through grace that we come to salvation and learn the truth about God’s love for us.

That doesn’t make us any better than other Christians! In fact, as Paul says in Ephesians 4:2, we should actually be humble and gentle with others, rather than harsh and critical. He says we are to be patient with one another, helping one another in every way that we can so that we all grow together.

These ideas aren’t original to Paul. They actually came from how Jesus lived his life. As followers of Jesus, we too should strive to be gentle, humble, and patient with everyone in our life. Regardless of whether they look or think a different way, every person deserves dignity, patience, and love.

Take some time today to think of a few ways that you can grow in patience, humility, and love with others. It could be slowing down long enough for people to know you care, saying something encouraging to someone, or admitting to someone that you’ve made a mistake.

What will you do today to show humility and grace to others?

Develop New Habits

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/18

I like what the author wrote about developing new habits. Our old ones did not suddenly appear, and likewise, our new habits, i.e. fruits of the Spirit, will not happen immediately either. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to work a gradual change within us. We have a lot of road construction going on locally every summer. It seems that each time we turn on a different road, there is a sign that says. “Road Work Ahead.” We should have a constant sign flashing in our minds that says, “The Spirit is Working Here.” He wants us to be more like Jesus, we want to be more like Jesus, and together we can accomplish that goal, one day at a time. I look into the mirror these days and sometimes I wonder who that is staring back at me. It is not the same embittered, unconfident and ready to defend myself at any time person who was me for over twenty years. I have settled into a more quiet nature of one who accepts what others do, says to myself that God will take care of it and move on, without carrying a burden of unforgiveness and with a smile on my face and a light in my eyes. I am not where God wants me to be yet, but I am not where I was. Thank God that He is still working within me!

Change the Way You Think

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/17

I learned several things from this devotional today. It was enlightening to be reminded that what I think about is important because it leads to choices, either good ones or bad ones. My relationship with God starts every day with my quiet time and I never really thought about that being my “renewing my mind” but I am sure that is what it is now that it was brought to my attention. It’s like needing a fillip of gas when you are running on empty. You won’t get far until you fill up even if you think you are fine with the tiny little bit left in the tank. I don’t know about you, but I need to fill up my mind and heart with Jesus every morning, just to be able to start my engine and go through the day and its challenges. I don’t know what the day holds, but I do know that when my mind is filled with Jesus and I am constantly thinking, “What would Jesus think about my actions, attitude and behavior” then I am more likely to make right choices and have the day that God wants me to have.

Please pray for me today if you don’t mind. I am going to see my ophthalmologist because my vision has been blurry for almost two weeks. The doctors think it may be the meds I am on that have caused it, but I need to be checked to make sure nothing else is going on. Thank you for your faithful prayers, my friends. Have a blessed and wonderful day, keeping your eyes and mind fixed on Him.

The Will and the Power

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/16

Everywhere I go and just about everyone I meet has excuses for why they are the way they are. Some blame genetics, others blame circumstances, and still others blame their childhood upbringing. Whatever the excuse is, it won’t stand up to God’s scrutiny when we stand before Him. He can give us the will to want to change, if we genuinely want to do so. And He has already provided the power through the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of things in life that we have no control over and cannot change. But we can change ourselves, one stop at a time growing closer to Jesus and becoming more like Him. God has provided all we need, but we have to come to the table and partake of His blessings.

Staying on the Path

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/15

God’s Word is the exact thing that each of us needs in order to change to be more like Jesus. We don’t even recognize that we need to change unless we see the truth in His Word. Sharp like a sword, sometimes, the Word hits me deeply with a reminder of how I have fallen short. That is God’s Spirit gently telling me not to get off the path with the Lord, but to stay on that narrow way. Facing the truth about ourselves is not easy, but it’s necessary. I think it’s easier to see the truth about others and then point it out to them. But that is not what we are supposed to be doing. The only person we can change is ourselves, from the inside out. So, my prayer is to be open to the truth, even when it’s painful, because I know that god is still working on me and I want to be all that He created me to be.

Sinless v. Sin Less

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/14

I feel like Paul sometimes who wrote that the things he wants to do, he doesn’t do and the things he doesn’t want to do, he does. And he added, “O, wretched man that I am!” That’s the problem…the whole human thing means that we are, well, human. We aren’t God and will never be God, but we are supposed to strive to be as perfect as we can, with every day being a new beginning for us. There would be no need for I John 1:9 if there were no sin, right? Thus, I am one of those imperfect Christians, under construction by the Holy Spirit and praying each day that I will sin less. I am made righteous before God, but I am not sinless and don’t think I will be until I reach my eternal destination. I hope this post makes sense because I feel as though I am rambling. Perhaps that is because I don’t totally understand the scriptures that say to “be perfect” and then to “confess your sins one to another.” I think it’s a work in progress. Jesus finished His work when He died on the cross, but my work on myself, to become more like Him, started the day I accepted Him as Savior and will continue until the day I did. My hope is in Him who helps me to sin less and love more!

Live with Eternity in Mind

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/13

I am an obsessive planner. I plan what will be for dinner as soon as I get up every morning. I plan my lunch as I eat breakfast. I have always been a planner, thus the success I enjoyed as a teacher. Sometimes plans don’t work out, and what I am not is a good “punter.” I don’t like to fall back and punt and change my plans. Flexibility is not a strength in me, but I do try, especially when God is working on that skill in me. I am happy that I don’t have to have a plan B on the back burner for eternity. There is one plan…live for Jesus and spend eternity with Him. That is the only plan that really matters. So, choices are made based on whether they fit into the big plan of living for Jesus. Daily life can be a challenge, with a lot of choices, but if I always keep the goal in mind, I will succeed in God’s plan for me. And that’s my one big plan!

In the Family of God

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App1 Comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/12

This devotional really tugged at my heartstrings and my memories. When I was a child and afraid of the dark, I called for my “daddy” and he always came, sang a little song and hugged me, telling me that he would be in the other room and I didn’t need to be afraid. Focusing on God keeps us from focusing on the fear. In reverse, focusing on fear takes our focus off of God where it should be. Whenever I am afraid, of a new medical diagnosis or changes in my life, I try really hard to focus on God. I tell myself that I have lived over fifty years with God as my Father and He hasn’t failed me yet!

The Power to Say No

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/11

As Christians, we are still tempted and need to call on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us turn away from sin and say “no.” How often do we just give in because it is our natural way of acting or reacting? Our testimony would be so much greater if people saw us tempted and also saw us say no to sin and yes to God. That’s what life is…a series of saying “yes” to God and His ways and no to our natural inclination to sin, to fulfill our own appetites and desires for things that please us but that don’t necessarily please God. The next time you are tempted, whether it’s to watch a movie or lose your temper or show pride, whatever the temptation looks like in your life, take time to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to turn away from the bad choices and towards the good ones.