Daily Devotional

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty."

Proverbs 28:19

Two or three generations ago, young people were advised, "Learn a trade, and you'll always have work. "This was during the Depression, and the advice was good, just as the verse above is good advice.Society changes, and the available jobs change with it. Today it's a good idea to know your way around the internet and a computer keyboard. Who knows what new jobs will open up in the next twenty years?

All vocational advice is based on the same premise: Pick a job, do it well, and don't chase fantasies. This doesn't mean you shouldn't dream of a better job, but it should be a realistic dream, attainable through education or experience.

Go ahead and dream, but back your dream up with productive work, just in case.

Lord, I have so many dreams and hopes. Some will come true in and some won't. Teach me the difference between dreams and fantasies, and lead me into the work You have designed for me.

Daily Devotional

"Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right."

Proverbs 8:6

You can't always keep your mouth shut. Sometimes others really need your help. you may already have gone through a problem they're facing now and have some good advice on how to get through it.

On a larger scale, you may want your opinion heard on a local, national, or international issue. You may feel compelled to join a group working for a cause you believe in. Don't be afraid to wade in and speak your piece. You may be young, but you're not stupid. If you feel you have something to contribute, have faith in yourself and do it. You have to pay your dues, actually and figuratively, but once people see you pulling your weight, they will begin to listen when you have a good idea you just can't keep to yourself.

Lord, I do have thing I want to say. Give me the courage to say them, and help me earn the respect of others so my voice will be heard.

Daily Devotional

"Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house - too much of you, and he will hate you."

Proverbs 25:17

This verse isn't saying you should avoid your neighbors or refrain from having a social life with them. The Bible is full of verses that applaud neighborliness and caring for others. But there are limits. Some neighborboods are remarkably close and friendly; others aren't. When you move into a new neighborhood, you need to learn the neighborhood rules and not be a pest when people want to be left alone.

Similar problem involves a group of friends who begin to marry after graduation. When the old gang begins to break up, it's easy to blame the new spouse instead of admitting that you are part of the problem.

If you want to stay close, you'd be wise to become friends with the new spouses and give the couple the space they need so neither will hate you.

Father, give me the good sense to allow my friends the space they need and to realize that relationships change with time.

Daily Devotional

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

Ecclesiates 1:9

We humans tend to be very territorial about our time frame, impressed by any statement that begins, "Never before in history..."(add your own amazing fact). In matters of science, medicine, and space travel, these statements are often true and impressive They make us feel special, better than our poor, uneducated ancestors who had to struggle along without moon rocks.

But in matter of human behavior, good or bad, there really is nothing new under the sun. We have a finite number of human responses to any situation we may encounter, and they don't vary too much from the responses available thoughout human history. If it's human, it's been done before.

The only thing new is the magnitude of our actions today. We can do things faster now, on grander scale; instant communication makes our every action seem new and novel.

Father, the next time I feel as though my suffering is unique, remind me of my long line of ancestors who dealt with the same problem and somehow survived it. You were there for them and will be there for me, too.

Daily Devotional

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

1 Peter 3:3-4

Some people would look great dressed in anything, with no makeup or extra effort. The rest of us need a little help - and there's nothing wrong with looking your best. A few hours a week in the weight room will not only tighten up your waistline but also leave you healthier and happier. A new dress or suit may make you more confident.

On the other hand, we all know perfectly gorgeous people whose souls live in a swamp. You may admire their appearance but wouldn't trust them to walk your dog. Their beauty is skin deep - or less.

In the long run, it's performance that counts, which is exactly what this verse is saying. Do what you can with your outer self, but concentrate on the "unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit."

Lord, I will never be one of the beautiful people the world seems to favor, but I can develop the kind of inner beauty that You prefer. Thank You for judging me on the basis of how I live, not how I look.

Daily Devotional

"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God."

1 Peter 2:19

Life is not totally just, and sometimes we find ourselves being punished for doing what we believe to be good. God considers bearing up in this situation commendable.

What does bearing up mean these days? In some instances, it means continuing to live a faithful life at all costs, including martyrdom. In other cases, it means paying the traffic ticket we didn't deserve without a big fuss. Quite often, it's easier to bear up under conditions that are severely unjust. It's obvious that you're being railroaded, and you receive the sympathy and admiration of others when you behave courageously.

The little daily injustices of life are tricker and often harder to bear, but even then, it is commendable to persevere in doing what you know is right.

Father, help me bear up under unjust punishment in every form and continue to live my life faithful.

Daily Devotional

"Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee."

Deuteronomy 5:16

"My mom is constanly telling me to clean my room. They the other day, she cleaned it herself because she didn't think I was ever going to do it. She thought she was doing me a favor, but I'm furious. She invaded my personal space," Carla admitted.

You're beginning to feel the stirrings of independence, but Mom and Dad sometimes treat you like a child. Though you don't want to treat your parents disrespectfully, someday you'll be on your own. Ten years from now, you don't want Mom stopping by to clean your messy apartment!

Carla's mom didn't want to have to clean her daughter room, but Carla wasn't taking responsiblity for herself. Once Carla discovered that her mom would treat her more like a young adult if she acted like one, Carla began cleaning her room without being asked. With this new understanding, their relationship blossomed.

You can honor your parents as you become responsible young adults. Just make sure you treat them with respect and keep on loving them.

Lord, when my parents and I disagree, keep us communicating. I want to honor You and them.

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Daily Devotional

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprizing, then, if his servants masquerade as servant of righteousness."

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

In certain circle, you'll hear a lot of false ideas about angels. People often use them as more comfortanle replacement for God - one that will supposedly tell them about future but won't demand anything from them.

When you hear ideas about angels that don't agree with scripture, look out! Remember, not only are there heavenly beings, helish beings seek to deceive us daily.

How can you tell the difference? Look at the message the messager bears. God's angels constantly serve Him. They don't try to take His place or detract attention from Him. They bring glory to God, not themselves.

When Satan's messengers face us, they can look good. Who wouldn't want a personal heavenly being at his or her command? But pride isn't a key to heaven, and any doesn't come from there, either.

Lord, thank you for angels who watch over us. But Satan's messengers I could do without. Keep me from the pride that hides truth for my eyes.

Daily Devotional

"When times are goods, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God had made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future."

Ecclesiastes 7:14

You can't predict the future. You can only plan to the best of your ability and move forward in faith.

So decide what kind of career you want; then work hard at attaining it. But stay open to new ideas and truths along your path to success. Likewise, stay open to finding the mate God has for you - but don't put on a path helmet and go hunting for one, or you'll turn romance away.

Despite all your good strategies, you'll run into a few roadblocks. Maybe your first career won't be as enjoyable as you'd expected and you'll go back to school. Or you might wait a few extra years to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. But delays or detours don't have to end your trip.

Even your worst times aren't our of God's control. His master plan can't be circumvented. So enjoy the good days and know that the really bad ones can still lead you closer to God.

Take each day as it comes a gift from Him.

Whether today is great or out of control, I trust in you, Lord.

Daily Devotional

"A triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:12

A recent poll found that Christians with strong marriages attribute them to a strong prayer life.

What does prayer have to do with two jobs, a house, and two kids?

Couples who pray together regularly find that God becomes an interwoven third in their relationship. In the midst of seeking Him, a husband may uncovered something that's been troubling him, but he couldn't seem to express. A wife may suddenly understand the reason for the tenseness that's filled her days. When they bring each trouble before God, solutions start.

Someday you, too, may worry. When that time comes, you and your spouse should strive to pour out your concerns together in prayer. In doing so, you'll learn a lot about each other, as well as God. The three cords - husband, wife, and Lord - become even more entwined, and two really do become one.

Tie the knot with Him.

Lord, I want my marriage to be tight with You and my spouse. Whomever I marry, let it be someone who spends time with You.

Daily Devotional

"And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison."

Genesis 39:20-21

Joseph didn't look for trouble - it just seemed to find him. First his brothers sold him for a slave. Then his master's wife lied about him and got him tossed into prison.

If Joseph was favored by God so much, why wasn't his life smooth? He didn't deserve what he got, especially not from Potiphar's wife.

The hard fact is the wicked of the world live along with Christians, and sometimes Christians get hurt by their wrongdoing. When that happens, we cry out, "Life isn't fair!" And we're right - it isn't. But it wasn't fair, either, that Jesus had to come to earth for unbelievers and die to save them.

Are you ready to be treated unfairly for Him?

Lord, life isn't fair sometimes, but I still love You and want to serve You - even if it means getting mistreated by someone who doesn't know You.

Daily Devotional

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

1 Corinthians 13:4

If you're involved in a special romance, do you treat your beloved as someone who's exciting to be around? Probably. But do you also show your date God's love by living out this verse?

Dating relationships can make emotions run high, but if you are constantly impatient with a date who's never on time or are unkind to one who's having a tough time seeing eye to eye with a family member, you're not reflecting God's love.

God doesn't rewrite the Book so we can act any way we want in our romances. Nowhere does God say we have a right to treat the ones closest to our hearts with less respect than a chance acquaintance or a close friend. When we really love, we treat each other with extraspecial gentleness and care.

If you can't treat a date with patience, kindness, and trust, reevaluate things. Your spiritual walk may be slipping. Or perhaps this isn't a person you're suited to and you'd be better off as "just friends."

Lord, help me show Your love to anyone I date. Don't let me make my romantic life an exception to Your rules.

Daily Devotional

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher then the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies."

Psalm 108:3-4

Some days, the praise just floats from your lips to God's ear. Whether it's school, social life, or spiritual life, not a cloud troubles your skies. Maybe you're recently had a victory in on aspect of life, and you can't thank God enough.

Or maybe you're up to your ears in troubles, and you've stretched thin spiritually. Every day's become a challenge. Praise seems like a word meant for someone else.

Whether you've just seen God's salvation or you're holding on, depending on it, it's time to praise Him and tell the world of His faithfulness. Your circumstances may have changed, but God hasn't. His love never left you, and He hasn't forgotten to be faithful. If times are good, you still need him, and if times are rotten, you know you need Him even more.

Because you trust Him, tell of His faithfulness. Even if you can't see it yet, it coming!

How can I thank You for Your faithfulness, Lord Jesus? Even when I don't see it, I know You're working for my good.

Daily Devotional

"And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him."

Genesis 42:3-4

Jacob might never have learned what happened that day Joseph disappeared, but undoubtedly had some suspicions. How could Joseph die after he claimed he'd rule over his brothers? Jacob wasn't going to chance losing a second son.

Benjamin's ten brothers had earned themselves a reputation for being untrustworthy and years after the incident, Jacob remembered it.

Getting a reputation isn't hard. People quickly judge your worth based on things you've done and what they've heard about you. Sometimes a reputation isn't deserved. But most often, we've earned what we've gotten.

When people look at you, do they see something Jesus would be proud of? As a Christian, your reputation isn't just your own-it belong to Jesus, too. People judge Him by your life.

I want others to see You in me, Lord, and I don't want to smudge the picture. Make me a trustworthy picture of Your love.

Daily Devotional

"My intercessor is my friend asm y eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friends."

Job 16:20-21

How do you pray for others? Is it merely "Bless John, bless Jane"? Imagine yourself in God's shoes, listening to such a shopping list of prayer. Pretty boring, isn't it?

Hearing such stuff must be harder for him than praying it is for us. God's heart breaks when He thinks of all the blessings we could ask for that He would gladly give. But if He gave what we asked, what would that be? Are we looking for healing, peaceful relationships, conversion, or a thousand other things?

We'll never quite know how prayer works to move God's hand. But through the Spirit, who intercedes for us, we can bring the needs of friends, family, and even Christians who live half a world away to the Father. Lives begin to change, and we can praise God for His works.

The Spirit intercedes for you everyday. Are you interceding for others, too?

Father God, fill me with Your love for others. Let my prayer time be a blessing to the world.

Daily Devotional

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galatians 6:14

Stacie went to a great church. She was growing in Christ as she never had before. When she and members of her church visited other churches, they always mentioned that theirs was the best church around.

One day, Stacie's friend Paul, who went to another church, shocked her by asking if she was more attached to her church than to Jesus: "It seems you think your church can never be wrong and that every church should be just like it."

At first she was mad, but later Stacie caught Paul's drift. Nothing should be more important than the Savior in her life. Though they went to different churches, she and Paul were brother and sister in Christ. If she acted as if going to her church was more important than knowing Jesus, she was out of line spiritually.

Support your church, think well of it, but realize that God works through other cngregations, too. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and you won't go wrong

Lord, I don't want churchgoing to get in the way of my faith. Build me up in You, not in a building or way of worship.

Daily Devotional

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 7:12

Jana sat in the crowded doctor's office, miserable with a head cold and barely paying attention to her surroundings. If only she could get in to see the doctor and get home and to bed!

She barely noticed the grimacing man across from her until another patient told the nurse, "He's in more pain than I am. Please take him first."

Jana admired the woman, but guilt stabbed her heart. I never realized he was in so much pain, she thought. If I had, would I have done the same, even though it meant a longer wait?

Doing good for others - especially those outside our circle of friends and family - means tuning in to their needs. Do we block ourselves behind a pseudospiritual wall and a "don't touch" mentality? Or do we open up to others, talk to hurtng people, and offer them Jesus' help?

After all, that's only a small part of what he gave us.

Jesus, reaching out is hard when I get boxed in to myself. Open my heart and eyes so I can help others.

Daily Devotional

"The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead....The man is...one of our kinsman-redeemers."

Ruth 2:20

The Old Testament world didn't offer women great career paths. Once their husbands died, as with Ruth and Naomi, they could find themselves barely able to live.

So God developed a way to take care of widows and orphans: The nearest male relative was to marry a widow and care for the family. Not the most romantic marriage proposal, you might think, but the truth God was showing here was more than hearts and flowers. He had a spiritual lesson in mind.

Until we know Jesus, we're all like widows. Spiritual poverty binds us tightly, and we can't unwrap it from our souls. So we need a rescuer-someone who will come close to us and pay a price.

No earthly relative can do that for us, but our Brother Jesus can. He redeems us from our spiritual poverty and gives us new lives. Like Naomi, we suddenly find that lives seemingly blighted and hopeless are bright with promise.

Sometimes, Jesus, I'm blind to my own spirtual poverty. Thank you for becoming my kinsman-redeemer and buying me out of sin.

Daily Devotional

"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalm 14:1

When God calls someone a fool, He's very serious. In scripture, fools are those who don't believe in Him.

We may call ourselves a fool when we spill milk or forget to hand in a homework assignment. We should have known better, but we just weren't paying attention Yet this sort of carelessness isn't the kind of foolishness God talks about in His Word.

To God, anyone who ignores the obvious messages He's given the world is missing more than mental focus. Real foolish thinking-such as self-centeredness and disregard for right-steeps a person in wickedness. Apart from God, no one does good.

We don't need to be hard on ourselves when we forget to hand in an assignment, but we do need to be careful that we don't emulate the works of the truly foolish-those who don't believe God even exist.

Lord, any goodness I do come from You. When others deny You, I want to stand firm in faith instead of acting as if You don't exist.

Daily Devotional

"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that mayest cleave unto him."

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Someday soon you'll be moving into a new life. When you graduate, a whole world sits out there to discover.

But it's a big world. Looking at the decisions you'll face and the things that could go wrong, you may feel scared.

Life is made up of a lot of decisions - do I move here, take that job, go to that college? More importantly, life is made up of moral choices that have even more of an impact on your future.

Bad moral choices can spell death for relationships, but good ones bring them new life. Choices can close opportunities to you (after all, who wants to hire a thief?) or open up new vistas.

If you're really into the Word, you know what those right choices are. They're all in the Book. Put them to work in your life, and you'll be blessed!

When I read Your Word, I see the things I should do. Give me strength, Lord, to follow through with right chocies.

Daily Devotional

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven"

Matthew 5:16

If you are going to do good deeds, it's best to be sure of your motivation. Are you secretly doing them for your own reputation or pleasure, or are you doing them for the glory of God?

Although doing good deeds involves action on your part, the greater portion of them also involves inaction. A light doesn't shine for its own glory. It just sits there and glows, showing the actions of others, just like a mirror doesn't physically do anything but reflect what it sees.

In the same way, good deeds should show and reflect the actions of God, not you. It's God who gives you the motivation to do good. Even if others see you doing the acts, what they should notice is God's love, not yours. This makes doing a simple deed a little more complicated than you thought, but evenually you'll catch on and learn to reflect God while you stand back in the shadows.

Lord, I want my actions to lead others to praise You, not me. Show me how to do this in my everyday life.

Daily Devotional

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty"

2 Peter 1:16

Have you been in a courtroom and heard witnesses describe the same accident? Each sees something different. Though they were all there, each person's story varies. By careful listening jurors come to a conclusion about just what went on. If parts of the story don't seem to agree, jurors have to decide which witness had the best knowledge.

The Bible consists of eyewitness accounts, too. The writers say God's majesty and testified to it. They wrote across thousands of years, from various situations. Yet their stories all agree in amazing detail. When one seems different, it's an eyewitness report from another viewpoint, but all the stories meet together to form a glorious whole.

Sixty-six books that agree! How unlikely in the world of human beings when God's the Author.

Lord, how wonderful is Your Word. Thank You for sharing it with me.

Daily Devotional

"I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I'"

IsaIah 65:1

The emptiness in her heart didn't even have a name when Jesus began to reach out to Janice. All she knew was a restlessness inside that nothing seemed to fill - not friends, good times, or New Age philosophies, though she tried to find peace in each. Caught in a narrow alley of confusion, Janice didn't know where to turn when Gail met her and introduced her to Jesus.

No matter how huge the emptiness in our hearts, we don't suddenly wake up one morning and say, " Jesus, thats the answer!" unless God has worked it in our lives. Sin so mars our thinking that we can't begin to understand our thinking that we can't begin to understand our own need. But God knows it, Despite our disobedience, He calls us anyway.

He hasn't stopped calling us, either. When life blindsides us we feel that touch and hear His voice, reminding us that now we're His people - those He can't to save.

Thank You, that when I wasn't even worth saving, Lord, You touched my life and made me whole.

Daily Devotional

"Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gate have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."

Nehemiah 2:17

Overcome with discouragement, the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from exile huddled in a city open to invaders. Broken walls surrounded what was left of the city, and even its gates were burned. But no one started a citywide rebuilding project.

When Nehemiah heard of the situation, instead of hunkering down in fear, he got permission to rebuild the walls. He traveled to Jerusalem, inspected the site, and confronted the people. Encouragement and a plan were all they needed - and Nehemiah gave them both.

Sometimes every Christian needs lifting up. When schoolwork gets you down, it's great to have someone give you some help and say something heartening. If you're struggling with sin, a seasoned Christian can share how she overcame the same temption.

Don't let discouragement get the best of you. Reach out for help!

When I feel lower than a snake's navel, Lord, it's hard to tell others. Help me reach out for help.

Daily Devotional

"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."

Habakkuk 3:19

Habakkuk had a hard time understanding God- Isreal was a mess, and the Lord didn't seem to do anything about it. So the prophet went straight to the source to lodge his complaints - God Himself.

After a long conversation with Him, Habukkuk still didn't understand everything God was doing. The prophet didn't have all the answers, but he'd developed trust in God's sovereignty. The Creator was in control, and the prophet had faith again.

Even when you can't understand everything God is working out in your life, can you praise Him as sovereign Lord? Can you be confident in Him and climb to the mountaintop of belief?

If not, go to Him in prayer. Share your doubts and concerns, and give Him your burdens. Like Habukkuk, in a short while praise will overflow your heart.

Understanding all You do, Lord, is impossible. But I still trust that You are faithful. What I can't understand here, You can show me in heaven.

Daily Devotional

"How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?"

Habakkuk 1:2

We'd like to think believers never suffer serious, long-term wrongs. All Christians' trouble should be minor ones; after all, don't we serve God?

When we think this way, we've created a god who's almost at our beck and call. We're acting as if we're favored ones to whom He caters. God didn't save us to place us in an ivory tower, apart from the miseries of this world. He didn't do that to Jesus, and He won't do it for us. Anyone who's been a Christian for long can tell you we don't always get instant prayer answers. Like Habakkuk, we'll find our faith tested by a long wait.

But at the end of God's delays, He often does something greater than anything we expected. Though His response may take days, weeks, years, it comes at the right time.

Don't limit His work in your life by failing to pray.

Jesus, You're Lord of my life, not my personal slave. Help me to seek Your will in prayer.

Daily Devotional

"God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies."

Nahum 1:2

Plenty of folks are perfectly willing to accept a wimpy kind of god - a perfectly inoffensive, powerless being who never interferes with their lives, never does anything they don't agree with, and never gets angry. This isn't God. Instead, they've packed their own thinking in a little plastic doll, an idol created in their own image.

Imagine the anger any father would feel at having a son slighted! Well, God isn't just any father. He gave a unique Son. The perfect Man died to save sinners. To cost your Son such pain and then receive the message "Don't interfere with my life" from sinners deserves an angry response. Justice wouldn't be done if God acted otherwise.

No idol shows anger, but God is no wimp. If people won't accept the most precious gift God had to give, they can pay for it themselves - with their own lives.

What will you life cost?

Father God, though I deserve wrath, You sent Your Son for me. I don't want to ignore His sacrifice.

Daily Devotional

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly but exhort him as if he were your father."

1 Timothy 5:1

That older guy makes you nuts! All you hear from him are the things you can't do, to the point where you wonder if you'll ever be old enough to walk a dog.

Some terrific older people have positive outlooks and encourage you in most things you take on. They're joyful people you're glad to be around.

But that one person....

When your personal naysayers starts carping, your mind lists all the ways you'd like to respond. Hold on long enough to toss those words out of your mind. Exploding won't improve your situation. He'll just go away thinking he was right after all. Instead, prove your maturity by treating him gently.

Timothy was a young pastor trying to lead older folks. Some didn't want to listen, so Paul advised him to talk to older generation, not to blow up.

Take Pauls advice, and they'll eventually respect you.

When others doubt my maturity, Lord, help me curb my anger and answer with love.

Daily Devotional

So have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Isaiah 54:9

The last time God really lost His temper, He killed off everyone in the world except Noah, Noah's family, and a representative sample of every animal. God must have known that humans can't live with a threat like that hanging over their heads; He promised that sort of mass punishment was a thing of the past. Humanity itself was safe, even though individuals and humanity as a whole.

This promise also serves as an example of how we should deal with our own anger. We have to differentiate, too. Just because a bald coach cut you from the team doesn't mean all hairless men are to be hated. You can't despite all women when one breaks your heart. You can't despite all women when one breaks your heart. You don't kick all dogs after one bites your leg. If God, in His righteous anger, promises not to punish by catagory, can we do anything less?

Father, thank You for judging fairly, no matter how we displease You with our actions. Teach me to do the same.

Daily Devotional

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Moses was trying to impress on the Isrealites the importance of following God's commandments to the letter. They were constantly to keep God's laws in mind and teach them to their children, from generation to generation. The problem was, Moses wasn't going with the Isrealites to the Promised Land, and time has a way of blurring memories, especially when you've gotten what you want.

Nothing makes you forget the past as fast as success, and soon enough the Isrealites would disregard the rules, despite all God and Moses had done for them.

We do the same thing now. We get in trouble and beg for help, swearing everlasting devotion. "I'll do anything You ask - I promised!" Once we're safe, we forgot our promises. You're human, and you will sometimes fail, but a promise is still a promise.

Lord, often I promise things I can't deliver. Make me more faithful in honoring my word, so I can be a good example and glorify You by my actions

Daily Devotional

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Luke 16:10

You're just starting off in a part-time job, and nobody trusts you with very much. You do what you're told, day after day, and it gets pretty boring after a while. Where's the challenge? What do you have to do before you get to make a few decisions or enjoy some responsiblity?

Unfortunately, you have to keep on doing just what you're doing now-only better. You have what you're doing now - only better. You have to master the boring stuff first, really get it down pat, and be the best "nobody" anyone's ever seen. Don't think people aren't watching, because they are. Even boring work has to be done well, and if you sleepwalk through the day, it will be noticed. But if you prove yourself trustworthy in this job, a better one will be ahead for you. At the very least, you'll end up with a good reference for your resume.

Father, when my work gets so boring I want to nod off about midafternoon, remind me that hold the keys to my own success in my own hands. I may be a nobody now, but I won't be for long, with Your help.

Daily Devotional

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take."

Jeremiah 31:21

We all have to see the path we're walking, or we'll end up in the bushes...not where we thought we were going. Life's a pretty long road, so putting up a few mental road signs is a good idea. When you hit a crossroads, get out your ethical road map and choose your path deliberately. You'll either decide, "No, I don't want to go there" or "Yes, this is the way."

Note that this is your road map; we each have to draw our own. You can give advice to other travelers you meet along the way, but you can't force them to follow your path. In the same way, you can't blindly follow some other traveler, hoping she's going where you want to go. If she suddenly veers off on a side road you don't know, you'll never find your way back to the right path. Be aware of your decisions, and follow the way you know is right.

Father, there are so many choices I have many in my life, and I can't see where they lead in the end. Give me guidance so I will end up next to You.

Daily Devotional

Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it.

Ecclesiastes 11:9

This verse ends,"But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do." Doesn't the ending of the verse contradict the beginning? Wouldn't it make more sense to forgo the happiness to be safe during the judgement?

No, it would be foolish to live that way. A Christian should enjoy life, and youth is the truth to enjoy it to its fullest. A good person does not have to walk around avoiding all fun just to be safe. Those who do so lead lonely, unfulfilling lives, which is certainly not what God had in mind for the faithful.

What this verse is saying is that there are some limits you'll have to be aware of while you're having fun. Some activities are inappropriate for the faithful. But you know that, and you know it's perfectly possible to enjoy living the faithful life. Don't wrap yourself up in "thou shalt nots" and deny yourself all the fun God means you to enjoy.

Father, show me the limits I need to know, but help me lead a happy, fulfilling life at the same time, a good witness of Your life.

Daily Devotional

"But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have put with my sheep dogs."

Job 30:1

Job had fallen on hard times, and the young men who once looked up to him for wisdom and advice now scorned him and split in his face, not showing a shred of respect for someone older. In the end, however, God restored Job twice his prior rank and power, and we can be sure the disrespectful young men soon wished they'd kept their mouths shut.

Being discreet is always wise. People in power do fall, but a good number of them climb back, too. If your teacher seems to be in trouble with the powers that be, don't make the mistake of publicly turning on him or failing to show him the respect his position deserves. If you're secretly happy to see him in trouble, keep your feelings to yourself. Otherwise, you not only show disrespect for one unfortunate person, you also show disrespect for his position. People will remember what you said and how you acted.

Father, teach me how to show the proper respect for those above me, no matter what the current situation may be.

Daily Devotional

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor the darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:5

There's nothing wrong with the night in itself. It's a time of peace and rest and relaxation, which we all need. A child of light -- a Christian -- can enjoy both day and night.

Yet there is something about the night that worries us. Not many horror movies are filmed in bright daylight, and echoing footsteps behind us in the night can raise the hairs on the back of our necks. There's a sense of danger in the night that we can never completely escape. Maybe that's part of its attraction.

The trick is to be able to enjoy the night without taking it into our souls and becoming part of it. As Christians, we have seen the light and know wrong from right. We shouldn't do anything in the dark that we wouldn't do in the sunshine. We cannot belong to the night, because we belong to Jesus.

Lord, You bring sunshine into my life, where once there was darkness. Thank You for Your love and protection at all hours of the day and night.

Daily Devotional

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

Isaiah 30:21

God has not left us alone on the earth to struggle through ours lives without guidance. Whether we call it God's voice or our own conscience, it is there, and it does help. We also have freedom to ignore the voice and go our own way. There are no strings attached to us that God can pull to keep us on the path. He will tell us which way to go, but we control our own legs.

The same thing happens to parents who raise their children properly and then can do nothing but watch when something goes wrong and their children turn to drugs or crime. Imagine the pain those parents feel and then multiply that times infinity, and you will only begin to understand a fraction of the pain we must cause to our heavenly Father.

Don't let the world's uproar drown out the voice you hear behind you. It's the best friend you will ever have.

Father, I want to follow Your path. Help me listen when You guide me in the way I should go.

Daily Devotional

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he

Deuteronomy 32:4

For centuries, wise men and women have had a hard time with this verse, so it's not unusual for the average person to ask the obvious question: If God is just, why isn't his world? Why don't the good prosper and the evil fall? Why do starvation and genocide rage?

One obvious answer is that God is working with flawed materials-us. Over the course of history, we've changed the world, and not always for the better. He gave us dominion over the earth, and our sin has corrupted a perfectly just situation. That does not change the fact that God Himself is still what he has always been.

Maybe the best answer to the just-God/unjust-world problem is to admit that we don't know what's going on. We're simply not seeing the whole picture. Some things you just have to take on faith. God is still in the world, doing what only he can do.

Father, I place my life in Your hands, certain that all things work according to Your will, whether I understand or not.

Daily Devotional

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

1 Timothy 5:4

Before you know it, your parents will be as old as your grandparents. You probably won't notice it as it happens, but one day you'll see your mother rubbing her sore back or hear your father groan as he stands; then it will suddenly hit you that they aren't the parents of your childhood anymore. In time, you'll find yourself faced with having to parent your own parents. It's scary, unnatural, and lonesome.

What do you do as your parents grow older? The best thing is to let them know how much you love them - now and always. Do things for them without being asked. If something looks too heavy for mom to lift, pick up for her before she even starts bending over. And if dad is looking for his glasses, help him out by letting him know they're on top of his head.

Keep in mind that your parents may someday need you to take care of them. No matter where life takes you, keep in touch and be there as they were for you.

Father, it's hard watching my parents grow old. Give us all the patience and love we'll need to make their later years as happy and full as possible.

Daily Devotional

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every's man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

1 Peter 1:17

The world thinks in the present tense. Christians tend to think in the future tense, with a good understanding of the past. Like anyone else, they want to be successful, but they know God's will for their lives is more important. They are willing to give up a lot to lead righteous lives, knowing their rewards may be far in the future. They praise God for all His blessings in good times and in bad. Christians start with God and work down to themselves.

Anyone who thinks in such a totally different way is bound to be a stranger here, not quite at home in this world. A far better world awaits Christians, the place they can truly call home. Living as strangers is not easy, but it's the only way that makes any sense

Lord, thank you for salvation that is mine fore the asking. If it causes me to feel like a stranger here, remind me that my home is with You.

Daily Devotional

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

In biblical times -- and today in many parts of the world -- anyone who came to the door was given food and drink for the journey. The next house or town was often far away, and entertaining strangers could save the stranger's life.

This isn't something we feel safe doing today. We don't even open the door to strangers, let alone entertain them. So what are we suppose to do to keep this command?

One way is to join a group effort, such as working at a food bank or soup kitchen. Doing volunteer work at a nursing home or hospital is another option.

There are also individual ways to help -- little acts of kindness. You can check up on elderly neighbors once in a while, perhaps offer to run errands or mow their lawn. You can give way to another driver or step out of line at the supermarket and allow someone to go ahead of you. None of these actions put you in danger, but they are all forms of entertaining strangers.

Father, show me how I can be helpful to others in little ways that count.

Daily Devotional

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Song of Solomon 2:11-12

Even the hardest winter eventually gives way to spring, and signs of new life surround us. And yet nature has become irrelevant to many of us who live and work in a climate-controlled life. The closest most of us get to nature is when we're splashed by a taxi or the buses are thrown off schedule by snow and we're late for school. Nature is mostly a matter of inconvenience to us.

And yet nothing can make us feel as fully human as nature, if we get out there and really experience it. Spend some time out there, and your whole outlook on life can change. Nature has no patience with self-involved humans. It humbles us, sometimes it hurts us, but it also teaches us that God is pleased with all his creation, and we are only one of them.

Lord, sometimes I forget about the breadth of Your creation and feel I am the only one who counts. Give me the opportunity to become more involved with all of Your creation, so I can see myself in perspective.

Daily Devotional

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Right now is one of the best times of your life. You are young and strong, unafraid of the future, and eager to experience all that life will bring. Now is the time to remember your Creator and thank Him for everything He has given you. Now is the time to enjoy yourself, sing His praises, and keep His commandments.

You know how you thank your mom when she gives you your favorite food for dinner or takes you on a great vacation? You thank her with your whole heart and happily obey her rules. The days she gives you brussels sprouts, you undoubtedly do not thank her - or take the garbage out without complaining. It works the same way in your relationship with God. Now, while things are going well, be lavish in your thanks, because it will be harder to do as life gets harder.

Father, thank You for the joys of life I see all around me today. Teach me now while I am still young, how to live in a way that pleases You.

Daily Devotional

Don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.

2 Timothy 2:23

While growing up, you'll have lots of debates about politics and religion. And that's okay. When you're young, you need to explore your ideas. But one of the first things you'll learn, usually the hard way, is to never argue about politics or religion.

For as we age, our ideas often turn to concrete. This happens to all people; they have a set of core beliefs they want left alone, thank you very much. You mess with it at your peril.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't witness. You have every right to express your beliefs and try to help others, but you have to be aware of the danger of getting too close. The conversation will either die or become strident. The friendly banter, the give-and-take, will be over. Even if you haven't quite finished making all your points, it's time to back, off because you've gone past "conversation and are nearing "foolish, ignorant arguments."

Father, help me navigate my way through the subjects of politics and religion. Teach me to avoid arguments that can have no good ending for anyone and to respect the beliefs of others, even when I think they are wrong.

Daily Devotional

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all

2 Corinthians 5:14

Life pulls us in a lot of directions, and sometimes we forget a few old things so we can remember the new. We only have so much time, effort, and attention to spare.

But how can you forget love? Once you're on your own, you'll soon realize how scarce love of any kind really is. The world's a cold, unfriendly place when no one loves you.

Yet we all have unbounded love, if we want it. Christ loved us so much He died for us. Every single one of us can be a new person available to you now as it was to those living nearly two thousand years ago.

Maybe you could forget doctrine and prayers. Maybe you don't enjoy Bible study or the closeness of others in a congregation. Maybe you can live without hymns and ceremonies. But how can you forget lover?

Father, thank You for Your love, which is always there when I need it. Others may not be faithful in their love for me, but You will never fail me.

Daily Devotional

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

1 Timothy 6:8

What do you have for breakfast these days? A handful of Fruit Loops as you run out the door? Do you forgo the blase school cafeteria food and grab a candy bar from the vending machine? Is dinner pizza and a Coke before you get home?

Most teens have lousy eating habits. Some fill up on non-nutritional after-school snacks and then aren't hungry for Mom's dinner of meat loaf and creamed spinach.

Your body does have certain requirements and will tell you when it needs a shot of something green. When it does, listen to it. Make a good salad if you're not up for the regular cafeteria fare. Take a daily multivitamin to be sure you're filling in the blanks in your diet. Have a light and healthy after school snack - like a piece of fruit - so you don't ruin your appetite for dinner. Don't neglect your body's nutritional needs for too long, or it will begin to punish you.

Father, I believe my body is Your temple, and I need to take care of it. Show me how I can eat properly in the small amount of time I have available

Daily Devotional

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

1 Timothy 6:8

What do you have for breakfast these days? A handful of Fruit Loops as you run out the door? Do you forgo the blase school cafeteria food and grab a candy bar from the vending machine? Is dinner pizza and a Coke before you get home?

Most teens have lousy eating habits. Some fill up on non-nutritional after-school snacks and then aren't hungry for Mom's dinner of meat loaf and creamed spinach.

Your body does have certain requirements and will tell you when it needs a shot of something green. When it does, listen to it. Make a good salad if you're not up for the regular cafeteria fare. Take a daily multivitamin to be sure you're filling in the blanks in your diet. Have a light and healthy after school snack - like a piece of fruit - so you don't ruin your appetite for dinner. Don't neglect your body's nutritional needs for too long, or it will begin to punish you.

Father, I believe my body is Your temple, and I need to take care of it. Show me how I can eat properly in the small amount of time I have available.

Daily Devotional

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

1 Timothy 6:8

What do you have for breakfast these days? A handful of Fruit Loops as you run out the door? Do you forgo the blase school cafeteria food and grab a candy bar from the vending machine? Is dinner pizza and a Coke before you get home?

Most teens have lousy eating habits. Some fill up on non-nutritional after-school snacks and then aren't hungry for Mom's dinner of meat loaf and creamed spinach.

Your body does have certain requirements and will tell you when it needs a shot of something green. When it does, listen to it. Make a good salad if you're not up for the regular cafeteria fare. Take a daily multivitamin to be sure you're filling in the blanks in your diet. Have a light and healthy after school snack - like a piece of fruit - so you don't ruin your appetite for dinner. Don't neglect your body's nutritional needs for too long, or it will begin to punish you.

Father, I believe my body is Your temple, and I need to take care of it. Show me how I can eat properly in the small amount of time I have available.

Daily Devotional

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God?"

1 Corinthians 6:19

How long has it been since you've seen a dentist? Have you had your eyes checked lately?

Chances are, your parents schedule you for annual physicals as well as regular checkups at the dentist, the optometrist, and maybe even the orthodontist. But some day, you'll be out on your own. At that point, you may tend to ignore your body's health until something goes wrong. A throbbing tooth will get you to a dentist pretty fast, but you may skip the six-month checkups until then. Of course, a regular checkup would have caught the tiny cavity that's now a big enough to drive a truck through.

Once you graduate and have a full-time job, you'll be covered by your employer's health insurance plan. Use it. Regular checkups will save you a lot of problems later.

You won't be young forever. Don't you want a mouth full of your own teeth when you hit fifty?

Father, remind me to take care of myself now and when I'm out on my own. So I can enjoy good health in all the years of life.

Daily Devotional

"Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform."

Exodus 18:20

Everyone new to a job needs to be taught what to do and how to do it. You have to ask some pretty stupid questions before you can even start your work. Even flipping a burger can be done in a number of ways, only one of which will be the "right" way. Then, once you get the procedures down pat, you'll go and violate some unwritten law that nobody ever mentioned. How are you supposed to learn all this stuff on your own?

You can't - at least not fast enough to avoid some serious goofs. You have to take notice of all these little things while you work, juggling everything at once. If you're fortunate, you'll find someone willing to give you some clues until you can handle it all alone. Treasure this kind soul.

Then, when you're experienced and savvy take a new hire under your wing and return the favor.

Lord, give me the patience I need to learn all the written and unwritten rules of my job. Give me one friend I can trust to fill me in, and I will do the same for another in the future.