The Heart of a Servant

DAILY VERSE

Then there was an argument among them as to which of them would be the greatest.

Luke 9:46

DEVOTION

There are people who seem to be more concerned with their position and rank than they are serving. The concept of being a servant has escaped them. It is counterintuitive to think that someone who is a servant at heart would be thought of in the most positive light. But think about the people you admire the most. Chances are they have a servant’s heart.

In this verse, Jesus was not deifying the poor or the helpless. He was reiterating the worth of all of God’s creatures. That being the case, the great man is not driven to compete and compare. He is much more inclined to reach out to the lowly than to be grasping for the top.

We glorify God when we take the position of a servant. Serving others is gratifying and strips away pride and ego, which are traps the enemy loves to exploit.

Build Your Faith in THE ROCK

DAILY VERSE

“Go now, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.”

Luke 10:3

DEVOTION

There are many churches that can be categorized as “seeker friendly”. These churches usually focus on the New Testament and unfortunately, preach cherry-picked gospel messages that don’t give believers a solid foundation. These feel-good messages lead believers to think that having faith will protect them from experiencing trials.

The truth is, following Christ is work. You will certainly face trials, but the message of the Bible is that Jesus will be beside you. The Bible prepares us, showing us how to deal with various situations and illustrating how powerful prayer is when dealing with difficult circumstances.

The Bible shows us who God is. It shows us how He works and gives us a glimpse of what to expect. As we build our faith in The Rock, we can be certain that no matter what we face, He will carry us through.

Be a Good Steward

DAILY VERSE

Don’t try to get rich by extortion or robbery. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.

Psalm 62:10

DEVOTION

We’ve all heard the stories; a person of little means wins the lottery. They go on a massive spending spree. They give their friends money. They buy a lavish home. This story always ends the same way; the person goes broke in short order.

God blesses us with many things. Many times, it’s simply enough to make ends meet. But sometimes He opens the door of opportunity. In these times you must be acutely aware. The enemy lies around every corner, seeking to destroy.

Be a good steward of what God gives you.

We All Make Mistakes

DAILY VERSE

Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me one more time so that I may pay back the Philistines for the loss of my eyes.”

Judges 16:28

DEVOTION

Samson committed a laundry list of mistakes throughout his lifetime. He paid dearly for them. But in the end, He called on God to have mercy on him. He wanted to finish strong.

Most of us are just like Samson in that we’ve made many mistakes throughout our lives, but we press on. Living under God’s grace, we know He continues molding us to be like His Son. Because of His Son, we know that He sees us in a new light.

Each of us will fall down. It’s in our perseverance that we find God’s grace to continue on with great hope.

Words of Encouragement

DAILY VERSE

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

Proverbs 12:25

DEVOTION

We can never know what other people are going through. You may be talking about how amazing your job is to someone who’s been unemployed for a long period of time and is having trouble finding a job. To them, these conversations are cutting.

Encouragement, however, can turn someone’s day around. No matter what someone is going through, a word of encouragement can make a massive difference!

Today, no matter how busy you are, take some extra time to encourage someone!

God Will Work Things Out

DAILY VERSE

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19

DEVOTION

When we face the unknown anxiety can reign over our lives. Without an overhead view of our situation, our emotions can get the best of us.

When you put your trust in God and realize that where God has you is exactly the right place to be, you will find peace. As God leads you through your difficult season, you will find joy when it is complete.

In a world that has gotten used to instant gratification, take comfort in knowing that God will work things out.

Living in His Shelter

DAILY VERSE

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

DEVOTION

Trust. It’s an issue many believers struggle with. God has a broad view of our circumstances. He knows what lies ahead. Bur we, on the other hand, simply must trust that His plans will be perfect, no matter how long they take to unfold.

Take, for instance, losing a lucrative job. After the job loss you go through roughly ten years where you go back to college, and earn a degree, and yet employment seems to be an enigma. In times like this, you are humbled and stripped down to where you have to trust that God has you where you are supposed to be and that He has a plan.

Peace can seem fleeting at times like this. But when God opens a door and you begin to see how He put the pieces together, you’ll be amazed and overwhelmed by His grace!

Miracles Happen

DAILY VERSE

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Luke 7:15

DEVOTION

Miracles happen. They are events that can only be explained by divine intervention. They glorify God and point directly to His ability to manipulate creation, the works of His hands.

Many people in this modern age discount or discard the notion that God interacts with mankind in such a manner. But if left to our own devices, how many of us could truly say God never had a hand in our lives?

If I look back on some of the reckless things I have done, I am amazed I’m still living. There are also the many seasons of struggles, losing nearly everything yet rebuilding it back and considering myself blessed.

God is capable of doing so much more than we can fathom. He’s certainly done things in your life that you are not even aware of. Consider it a blessing and be thankful for all that God has accomplished in your life!

Eyes to See…

DAILY VERSE

He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Luke 8:10

DEVOTION

Have you ever wondered why something that seems so clear to you seems completely foreign to someone else? It makes total sense to you, but they simply cannot grasp it.

God gives us eyes to see and ears to hear. Believing gives you access to the reality God has hidden from others. Since they do not see, what you are able to perceive seems utterly ridiculous to others.

We must be compassionate toward the non-believer. The same can be said for some believers who may have some blind spots because they’ve allowed the world to cloud their vision.

How Much Grace?

DAILY VERSE

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Luke 7:47

DEVOTION

We forget sometimes that we are all sinners. Jeremiah said it best, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Like Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was forgiven and passionately sought to tell anyone who would listen about the grace that had saved him.

Realize how much grace you’ve been given and seek to love the Lord that much more!