Training Season

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~ 2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NIV

Today, we want to focus on the word "training" in today's scripture. 

While we typically think of training in terms of an athlete training for the Olympics or someone training for a marathon - that is, developing a particular skill or type of behavior through practice and instruction over a period of time - there is another definition of training.

Oxford's dictionary defines "to train" as "to point or aim something, typically a gun or camera, at."

What would happen if we thought of scripture in this way? That is, what if we used it to equip as to pierce like a gun? Or to give us more focus like a camera?

How much more powerful would the church be?

How are you using/seeing scripture today?

God bless,

J.W.

Thanksgiving All Year

"...speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ Ephesians 5:19‭-‬20 NIV

Thanksgiving just passed. But Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us not to wait for a holiday to express thanks to God for literally everything.

In other words, we ought to live in a posture of gratitude each and every day. It's one of the keys to living the type of life God wants us to lead.

God bless,

J.W.

God is a G

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord ." ~ Joshua 24:15 NIV

God is such a G (as in gentleman), in that while He knows what's best for us and can see the mistakes we make coming from a mile away, He never forces us to do anything and always gives us a choice.

Can you imagine the amount of complaining we'd do if we were forced to obey Him? We'd be talking about how unfair it is and how harsh God is.

But He loves us so much that He's willing to give us guidance, help, and direction, but never forces us to choose His way.

That doesn't mean we won't have to suffer the consequences of our poor decisions. But it does mean we have a God who is big enough to love us in spite of ourselves.

So glad we have a God who is like Himself and not like us.

God bless,

J.W.

Finding Rest

 "...Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him." ~ Psalm 62:1

Often times, in life, we chase so many things that the world dictates to us we should. Examples are success, happiness, material things, sex, money, fame, etc.

But how many times have you heard someone say that they just wanted more rest? How many times have you prayed for that?

God wants to give us rest. But just like everything else, to obtain it, we must pursue it.

How have you pursued God for more rest today?

God bless,

J.W.

Irrefutable Evidence

"'no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the Lord." ~ Isaiah 54:17 NIV

Reading this scripture reminds me of a courtroom. It uses words like prevail, refute, accuse, and vindication. God seems to be saying that He will defend us the way a lawyer might do in court.

So, what's the best way to prove a case in court?

Well, typically, it's to show irrefutable evidence to support your claim or defense. The other side can accuse you of all the things in the world but if you have irrefutable evidence, case closed.

When we are God's child, we don't have to argue our case. Our case argues for us. Through the cross, God has presented irrefutable evidence of His love for us, irrefutable evidence of His power over sin, and irrefutable evidence that we no longer have to suffer the fate that was once ours.

It's not up to us to refute accusations. God said we are vindicated through Him. We just have to keep living our lives and God will fight our battles (2 Chronicles 20:15).

God bless,

J.W.

Nothing New

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~ Matthew 5:11-12

There is nothing new under the sun. Oftentimes, we think the persecution, tribulation, or hate we experience is new. But God knows and has seen everything, even before it happens.

While God has created us each special and unique, the trials we got through are not. We all share common bonds through this human experience.

Learn from others' experience and take comfort in knowing that what you experience is not new to the human experience or to God. Seeking the one who knows all will help you through. 

God bless,

J.W.

Far Off

 

"...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." ~ Philippians 2:13

Often times, we think God as this distant, far off being who we only call on to intervene when we are in drastic situations. 

But Philippians 2:13 tells us that God works within us, not outside of us. The great work that God does is inside our hearts. And when we invite Him in, we actually get God living on the inside.

He is the greatest Helper I know. A God that would give up his own Son, sacrifice Him on the cross, only to come and live inside of each one of us.

God is not far off family. He's close.

God bless,

J.W.

Where to Place Your Confidence

 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." ~ Ephesians 6:10

Culture often tells us to be confident in ourselves, to believe in ourselves, or to put ourselves first. And while it might sound good, it's actually the opposite of what the Bible tells us.

The Bible tells us to be confident, not in our weak, sinful, flaky selves, but in our God who has all power in His hands and who never changes. The Bible tells us not to believe in ourselves, but to believe in God and His power. Finally, the Bible tells us not to put ourselves first, but first to love God.

Culture has it twisted. Confidence in one's self only goes so far. It's at the mercy of our feelings, our circumstances, and our limited strength. Ephesians 6:10 tells us to find strength in the strength of God that never runs out.

God bless,

J.W.

Judgment vs. Fruit Inspection

"If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom." ~ James 3:13 

In today's culture, there's a certain sensitivity around judgment and "being judged." So much so that any critique, criticism, or words of wisdom is characterized as one person judging another. 

But be clear, there's a difference between judgment and fruit inspection. God cautions us against judgment - that is, making a final determination about someone or something based on a limited set of facts. The key word there is final. We should not be saying a person is going to hell, for instance, if we don't really know what's in the person heart. And even if we do know what's in their heart, we don't know how God might change that heart.

We can, however, inspect fruit. In James 13:3, the Word challenges us to live out what we claim through our conduct. So if someone asks you to trust them, but their conduct isn't trustworthy, it's perfectly ok to say so. Sometimes we can act as mirrors to others to show them where they really are in life. God calls us to live in truth. Knowing the difference between living in truth and living in judgment will be key to us living out our purpose.

May what you claim in word show in your conduct. And if it doesn't, may God send people and revelation into your life to show you the discrepancy. 

God bless,

J.W.

All Things

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28

Most people read this scripture wrong. Or at least walk it out wrong. 

The scripture says that all things work together for good. Most Christians read or live this scripture as "all GOOD things work together for good."

The problem with the second way is that it doesn't account for the "bad" things that might happen to us. Jesus told us that in this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33). No doubt about it. It will happen.

But just because something bad happens, doesn't mean that God can't work it out for good. In fact, Romans 8:28 says that He certainly will.

So if bad things are happening in your life, don't worry. That's not the end of the story. God is still in control and can turn it around for good.

God bless,

J.W.

He Commands It All

 

"The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. The Lord will command his lovingkindness." ~ Psalm 42:8

What a powerful statement. That no only does God command tangible things like the wind and the waves. He doesn't just have the power to turn hearts of stones to hearts of flesh. He doesn't just have power to move mountains. But He commands His lovingkindness. Which tells us that no matter what we're going through, God can change it just like that. 

God commands it all. Which means we don't have to. Let go today and let God's command take over.

God bless,

J.W.

Never Forsaken

 

"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you." ~ Isaiah 54:10

No matter what we may think or what it feels like, God will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). 

Why? He promised it multiple times in His word. And as Numbers 23:19 says, "does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?"

If he said it, we can take it to the bank. He'll never leave us. 

Have a great day fam. 

- J.W.

The Principle of Sowing and Reaping

 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." ~ Proverbs 22:6

The principle of sowing and reaping can be found in today's scripture.

While it specifically addresses raising kids, there's application for all of life here.

If you would put in the work, God says that you will see the reward... in the end. So if you haven't seen the reward yet, it means it's not the end. Keep pressing. Keep praying. Keep waiting.

In the end, it will pay off.

God bless,

J.W.

Temples of God

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, the Bible tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. In other words, God himself lives inside of us. When we pray, we don't need to pray to some distant God. He lives inside of us and is right there with us, even in the midst of our pain, discomfort, trials, and tribulations.

God bless fam!

- J.W.

Truth Over Feelings

 

Notice what today's scripture doesn't say. It doesn't say have positive feelings towards those who curse you. Or like praying for those who spitefully use you. Because while God understands our feelings, He cares more about how we respond to them. We might feel a certain way about other people, but God also knows that we can choose how we respond. Our actions don't have to match our feelings. It requires maturity to follow this path, but ultimately that's God's goal - to grow us up in the faith and make us look more like Him. 

Watch how you respond today.

God bless,

J.W.

Building on Solid Foundation

 

God's word lasts beyond anything else in this world. While cultures and kingdoms change, God's word remains. Isn't it nice that we can build our life around principles that never change?

So who's ground are you building your life on? The shaky ground of culture? Or even of church? Or the solid ground that is eternal?

May God bless you today fam!

J.W.

#Bible #Bibleapp #DailyDevotional #BibleGateway

God's Love Letter

 

The Bible is God's love letter to His people. It tells us who we are, who's we are, and the promises he's made and ultimately will keep. The question is, are we reading it? And how would you feel if you wrote a love letter to someone and they just didn't bother to read it?

Dig into your love letter today fam. 

God bless,

J.W.

#Bible #ScriptureOfTheDay #dailydevotional #bibleapp #BibleGateway

Where God Looks

 

What a powerful statement God makes in this scripture. 

In a world where people are judged on their outward appearance - race, gender, clothes, beauty, etc. - God measures people not by how much money they have, how physically strong they are, or how attractive they might be. 

He cares way more about character and what's on the inside than we do as humans. 

If only we were a little more like God and less like ourselves. 

Have a blessed day fam!

God bless,

J.W.

Strength of Faith

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." ~ James 1:2-4

In the words of Dr. Dharius Daniels, faith is not just how hard you believe. Faith is about how long you believe. According to James 1:2-4, God tests our faith through time. Thus, faith is based not only on the "bigness" of our prayers. It is also based on the consistency of our prayers.

In other words, many of us get frustrated because we feel that God hasn't answered our prayer. But if we were to go back and examine our faith, we'd see that we haven't really prayed or believed that long. We've got big prayers but we haven't erected a structure that will sustain those prayers over time.

That's why Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and strength. The strength of our love of and faith in God is measured by our patience.

It's not just about how hard we believe. It's about how long we believe. Our faith is perfected, i.e. made perfect, through time.

God bless,
J.W.

Walking In Boldness

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

There will undoubtedly be times in life when you will feel pressure (internal or otherwise) to cower, comply, or avoid conflict. Most of us are conflict averse. Moreover, many of us have an underlying, hidden but often paralyzing fear of success, where we choose to play it safe rather than step out on faith and walk in the authority that God has given us.

None of that is God.

2 Timothy 1:7 says that God did not give us a spirit of FEAR, but of POWER. Romans 8:37 calls us more than conquerors. Philippians 4:13 confirms that we can do all things through Christ.

To walk with God, we will have to learn to walk in boldness.

God has things planned for you. He wants you to succeed. But accomplishing His purpose for you will require you to walk in a different spirit (Numbers 14:24).

Walk in boldness today.

God bless,
J.W.