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"On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar kin of Babylon Nebuzaradan commander of the the imperial guard, an official of the kin of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down." - 2 Kings 25:8-9

Morning Devotional:

Reflecting on the year that has been in my life has left me feeling like the Lord burned down my temple. It's hard to imagine sometimes why the Lord allows things to be done the way they are done in the universe and for the people of Jerusalem in the case of this particular burning, we read in Chapter 24 of 2 Kings that their rulers were evil in the eyes of the Lord and innocent blood had been shed. It doesn't get more specific than that. But in Chapter 25, it gets really particular about how the temple is destroyed.

And it happens this way when we get caught up in sin. Whatever it took for us to build up our temple feels like nothing sometimes in the end, especially if we spend the majority of our time taking it for granted and not maintaining it properly. We take it for granted and BOOM, the fire hits and the Lord takes it away. We get really specific in our remembrances. The temple we build doesn't become just a temple, it gets broken down in to "my special towels, my bird bath, my big screen TV, my etc., etc. etc." But God saw you as a whole. and the whole of what was in that temple was filled with EVIL, even if you couldn't see it, that's what God saw. And so he had to take it away. This happened to me TWICE this year.

That's okay though, because the Lord has my back. I know that deep down, whatever is being built in my life right now is going to be BETTER than what I had built before. It won't even be close. And for that I am grateful. And for that I am going to do my best to make sure that the Lord finds favor in what I'm building. If not, it will surely be destroyed again. I can't take it with me anyway. Amen.

"...Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come for the righteous, but sinners.'" - Mark 2:17

Morning Devotional:

On this beautiful Friday morning, Christmas Eve, I wanted to blog a bit about Jesus, the reason for celebration in this season in my life.

I want to pray the deepest prayers of thanksgiving for all the wonderful things he has done for me this year and all the terrible things that have happened. I want to be sure to praise Him in the good times and the not so good times because this verse in Mark shows us that she came for me. He came to help sinners like me realize their connections with God, and for that, I cannot be anything but thankful.

As I enjoy this Christmas vacation period, I take the story of Jesus birth as a reminder of the prophecy of his coming, the example of the life that he lived and the the teachings he gave us, and ultimately, the dying for all sins in brutal torture and crucifixion. I thank Him and the Lord our God for this sacrifice so that I may know joy and peace everlasting. Amen.

"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." - Luke 12:27

Morning Devotional:

In an effort to become more like a wild flower, I've moved on from daily blogging, but to be honest, some days I really had to force myself to write down something and it didn't feel quite right.

With this verse and the verses above it, Jesus is talking about a way to conduct ourselves in the world that doesn't feel forced. He's talking about a life that unfolds of its own accord. He's talking about the nature of BEING. And I write being like that because it's not hard to imagine that what he's talking about is existing without struggle to exist. And it's not that you won't face hardships, but the way in which we handle those hardships or the way in which we are to carry out our daily business is a way of simply being. Jesus very clearly with this teaching wants us to BE as natural as a wild flower, but not mindless. There's a difference between a wild flower and a human. Humans must think because we are cursed with the knowledge of good and evil, but we don't have to think too incredibly hard. And I think that's what Jesus is teaching us with this passage.

Consider the wild flowers. They are born of the seed that is sown by random chance and it grows into a flower that blooms and an insect comes to help it make more of itself and it reaches its old age and loses its petals and withers back into dust. All this without one "thought" because as far as modern science can tell us, the plant doesn't "think" like a human thinks. It simply is. The wild flower TRUSTS that God is going to provide for it innately. It hasn't a choice in the matter, much like we don't. God is going to provide for us as well. We need to take this lesson and BE like the human version of a wild flower. The more we focus on that, the more we will be able to SEE God providing for us. The more blessings we can count. Amen.

Morning Devotional:

No deep devotional this morning for my readers. Find a church and go, even if it is online.

"And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and Moses his servant." - EXODUS 14:31

Morning Devotional:

If you're paying attention, the mighty hand of the Lord is very easy to see. Miracles after steadfast prayer happen ALL THE TIME. If you're not a praying person and not really a believer, then it's a bit harder to see, but the evidence is still all around us. Turn to nature and witness the awe-inspiring one-ness of all of God's creation.

It doesn't matter where you turn. His glory is on full display.

Trust that glory and believe. The Holy Spirit coordinates the world. Trust and fear that because the kind of being that can create the world and hush the spirit of all things is worthy of all praise. Amen.

"No one could distinguish the sound of shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." - EZRA 3:13

Morning Devotional:

This devotional comes from a chapter in Ezra where the people are working at rebuilding the temple. And when they laid the foundational stone, there were shouts of great joy while others wept. This verse tells us that both the shouts and the weeping were in equal measure of volume. --- That's what it feels like in my head and in our world sometimes. It happened to me this week. I laid a foundational stone for my life by going out and finding a new job. But when I was done putting that stone into place, I had people shouting for joy and some people weeping and those two reactions were in equal measure. For me, it sounds like a concert, but half are playing a happy song and half are playing a sad song.

I had to remember that not everything that I do or happens in my life is going to be taken as a joyous occasion by all I know. Some might weep.

I had to lean on my prayer and remember that God works together through ALL things and makes them good. There's nothing He doesn't touch. He may let bad things happen from time to time and let the devil play his games, but the Lord always catches me. Whether I fall one time or 10,000 times God will always be there to catch me and set me on a path of righteousness. Always. Amen.

"'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angle left her." - LUKE 1:38

Morning Devotional:

I hear from time-to-time in sermon's that the 'Let thy will be done,' prayer is a basic prayer and the Lord really is looking for an effectual fervent prayer from a righteous man, as written about in John chapter 5. But a lot of the time for me recently, I really don't know what the Lord wants me to do and why the Lord is putting me through some of the things I'm going through. For me, the prospect of an effectual fervent prayer is difficult to realize, especially when all I would like from life is for God's Will to be done through me. I wake up every day with that hope. So that is going to be my challenge for the coming days and weeks is how can I go from the starting prayer of "let Thy will be done," to something that the Lord can consider effectual and fervent. Amen.

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." - PROVERBS 11:3

Morning Devotional:

I know that in the times of my destruction, and my life has been destroyed multiple times throughout my many years, it has been because I was not living with integrity in the Lord. I was living a dual life where I thought that I was much bigger or better than I was. The Lord showed me though. I just hope this next time I am able to build myself back up, I lean on His Word and stay centered with integrity so the Lord and others who absolutely trust in him may guide me. Amen.

"Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." - PSALM 110:1-3

Morning Devotional:

Praise the Lord, indeed. He is good. Amen.

"'Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful" - COLOSSIANS 4:2

Morning Devotional:

On some level, all of St. Paul's letters to the churches boil down to this principle: Prayer.

It is through prayer that all communications are accomplished. It is through designated prayer time that you get to connect with the Holy Spirit. And if you're not praying, you're missing out. It helps especially so on days where you just know that everything you do, you're going to fall short of the glory of God, prayer is a slam dunk. You cannot fall short in prayer. You pray, and they are heard. Amen.

"'This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'" - ZECHARIAH 13:9

Morning Devotional:

To me, the verse is about the church. In my world, today is Sunday and it's an opportunity to go praise God with others that I know to be filled with God's loving kindness. If you don't have a church, find one. Start attending churches on Sunday morning and see if they seem like a church that speaks to your heart. If you keep looking, you'll find one. But you have to GO, so GO!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - GALATIANS 6:9

Morning Devotional:

There are definitely times where I don't understand why God has me do somethings. This blog is one of them. This is why I turn to His word to guide my path. Like a New Year's celebration on Jan. 1st, help the timing of my harvest be in time with your will.

That's my short, simple prayer today; Lord, continue to guide my path. Some days my steps will be many. Some days my steps will be few. Whatever steps I take, bless them. Amen.

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them. 'Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this you and all the people of Israel; It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised fro the dead that this man stands before you healed. He is, 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'" - ACTS 4:8-11

Morning Devotional:

I hear this story and my heart immediately goes out to Peter. In this chapter, Peter and John are standing before leaders in Jerusalem and they are being questioned about this miracle of a crippled man being healed. They must answer because who else is able to perform miracles like this? Only Jesus before them.

And it's a bold declaration. honest and straight forward. And if you've ever prayed for something and it happened, you've witnessed the power of Jesus and the power of prayer and the power of miracles. It can, quite frankly, be very disconcerting. I've witnessed a few miracles in my life and I can tell you first hand that I was not even close to prepared to see what I saw just SECONDS after praying for it. I live in a day where technology can do lots of wonderful things and people thinks some impossible things can be routine... I can only imagine being around where time moves so incredibly slow and one day regular guys are performing miracles. They would have been REALLY shaken and then they get together and gossip about it and it probably had them even more worked up.

But Peter steps up and declares it boldly. And that's my prayer for today is to be more like Peter in that moment. Be more like Peter in declaring Jesus' power and love. If I can do that, I'll be more than prepared to speak after any miracle that I witness. Amen.

"He also said, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All buy itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.'" - MARK 4:26-29

Morning Devotional:

I believe the reason that Jesus speaks in parables is to help us CHANGE our mind. We think the world is one way and he KNOWS it is another. And the thing is that mostly all his parables focus on is the inexplicable. Take the above parable about growing seed. If you had a farmer come up and tell you, 'I don't know how these things grow, but I plant them and they grow, stalk first, then the head, then full kernel...' you'd scratch your head in confusion.

But Jesus is using the parable to answer a very specific question. "What is the kingdom of God like?" -- He answers this because even the most seasoned believer in God tries hard to understand something that has depths that cannot possibly be fully understood. You can imagine the expansive, but you can't imagine the expansiveness of the expansive. It's impossible. Your brain breaks. Dr. Jordan B. Peterson talks about this all the time that if you went into the depths of the world around you, really into the depths of the tiles on the floor for example, you eventually overload your system. You can't fathom the depths of it and function in the world at the same time. It is impossible. For example, maybe we're talking about one square inch of a tile floor in a room that is a fake marble from a quarry in India and is made of an epoxy resin that is manufactured in only two places in the world and has been designed by a woman who went to grad school for graphic design and is based on a picture of the marble from a photograph taken by a Dutch explorer in 1923, and so on and so on until you get to the molecular structure and so on and so on. It's impossible to get everything that makes up that one square inch of tile, now expand that one inch to the whole room, the whole building, the whole city. Now do that all while trying to understand the physics problem the professor is proofing on the white board in the room you're in. You can't wrap your mind fully around it all.

And that's the same message that Jesus is trying to get across here. He's saying that EVEN THE GUY THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANTING AND HARVESTING THE SEED cannot possible know how it works. The universe that God has created is too vast. It's too expansive. And he's telling us this because he's trying to explain that you shouldn't bother trying to explain it. Just know that 'this is how it works' and be okay with that. All things work for good. Trust that!

I've definitely struggled with this issue in my life. I want to know the depths of everything because I THINK logically, if I know the depths, I might be able to understand it. But Jesus is telling me that it happens with or without me understanding it. So part of my focus this weekend is on this fact. I hope that I can trust in Jesus' teaching here and allow even myself to grow seed like a farmer and be a seed that grows without understanding. Just grow. That's part of what I'm trying to accomplish. Amen.

"We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles, they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea." - PSALM 106:6-7

Morning Devotional:

Feel amazing today. I feel great because I realize the more that I give to God, the more blessings I receive.

I am not perfect. I, like everyone, have sinned.

But the more I lean on counting my blessings and just being a kind, Godly person as my default setting, the more blessings I am bound to receive. There is a direct correlation (although it doesn't prove causation, that's why they call it FAITH!). DO NOT forget his miracles.

I pray a simple prayer again today and I find the more I give to God the shorter and more direct my prayer gets too. I pray this:

Dear Heavenly Father, please bless those that I come into contact with today that they may interact with me and see your blessing and know you, through me. -- Also, please anoint those who pray for me. Please bless my family and those closest to me. If they have prayers, please let them be answered. Please also bless those who consider themselves my enemy. Amen.

"The brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. After he had finished... he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty." - 2 SAMUEL 6:17-18

Morning Devotional:

This morning was special for me. I went to a traditional Men's group at a church. In the past, I've just not made the time for it or thought of doing it. My journey as a more devout follower of Christ is only just beginning. Today was my first meeting at a new group at a new church.

And afterwards, I came across this verse and I understand bit more about offerings. Back in the Old Testament, offerings were pretty straight forward, mostly burnt animals. But today, with the new covenant of Jesus, who was the ultimate sacrifice, our offerings have the opportunity to become anything that serves the Lord and to further the kingdom of God.

For me, the offering was getting up at 5:15am to make it to church at 6am for the group! I'm fine with waking up early, but it is definitely a sacrifice. It's dark. It's cold. No one else is up yet. But it's the fellowship offering that this group has decided to make so that they get to gather before the Lord and show their dedication without disrupting their work days and commitments they have made to others. I'm happy to make it.

And the leaders sacrifice as well. They bring their offering of coffee and donuts, setting up the meeting room, and unlocking the church before everyone else gets there. That's their burnt offering and fellowship offering.

And the beauty of the Lord is that we all have something to contribute. He's made us that way on purpose. It's our job to figure out what our gift is and offer it. That's all. So today I pray that my offering this morning was sufficient and that His grace spreads to all the work that I am able to do. Amen.

"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit." - LEVITICUS 26:3-4

Morning Devotional:

This is just a reminder to keep on your path. I'm praying this simple prayer today:

Thank you, Lord for guiding my path. May I continue to do your work with all my heart. Amen.

"'Is not my word like fire,' declares the Lord, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?'" - JEREMIAH 23:29

Morning Devotional:

If you've ever sat in church and listened to a sermon and thought that the Word the preacher was speaking was just for you, you've experienced the reality of this scripture. If you haven't, I suggest that you should go to church until it happens because when you do, it will be beautiful and it will bring you to tears. The Holy Spirit is real and it's not something you can grab on to with your hands. It moves through you, and to experience it fully, you have to be open to the fact that a spirit world exists around us 24/7 and that God is in control of it.

I'm looking forward to listening to God's Word today at a new church. I pray that the Lord is sending me on a search for a new home church and that if this one is the right one for me, he fills me with the Holy Spirit from His word today. Amen.

"Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land -- a land with brooks and streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills, a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey, a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills." - DEUTERONOMY 8:6-9

Morning Devotional:

I feel like here in America, the Lord has given us all these things and yet we take them for granted a lot, myself included. I know his Word says that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike, but here in the U.S. we are failing even to give reverence to God for the gifts of the universe that we so desperately cling to. The Lord has delivered us into this country, all of us, and we need to respect Him if we are truly to get into touch with our spiritual side. It is important because God is a jealous God and he wants no other God's before him. And I think that's completely fair. He built the universe and everything in it. He made us in his image so that we could enjoy his creation. For those things alone, I think it's our responsibility to acknowledge and praise the Creator that is God. The rest of the blessings are just reminders of his greatness. Let us remember those great things today as we go about our day. Let's not take him for granted. Amen.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - ECCLESIASTES 9:10

Morning Devotional:

I really like the end of Ecclesiastes. There's good wisdom and understanding in this Book. And in today's scripture, I think it's important to remember to just give your all to whatever it is you decide to do. I feel like I've done that in my life. And the Lord has rewarded me for it. Every job I've had, I've found success because I've applied myself and that will continue to happen. One day, I will have success with this blog, even though I don't know what success looks like to the Lord. I just have to keep faith in Him and work with all my might. Amen.

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me." - PSALM 131:1

Morning Devotional:

This lesson from scripture is one that I have had a hard time understanding and learning in my life. I have, several times, decided that my calling was higher than it actually was. I spent time concerning myself with great matters over which I had no influence and things so wonderful that it lulled me into a sense of self that was far greater than my humble existence. Please, Lord, forgive me for that.

Knowing this, today I pray:

Lord keep me on the path of righteousness, guided by your Word. Still my heart in your presence and let that be enough until my cup overflows again and pours out on those around me your grace and love. Amen.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing." - PSALM 34:8-9

Morning Devotional:

I want to reiterate this passage. Those that take refuge in the Lord are blessed. If you're putting your faith in Him, you will lack nothing.

The one thing I know I've come to learn about God is that I do not understand why he has me going through what I am going through. NO IDEA. NO CLUE. That's why they call it faith.

I also know that he teaches us that we AREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO GET IT. His Word teaches us to not lean on our own understanding.

I can say very honestly and plainly that I really don't understand why I put myself in the situations that I've been in, even when I think I do. All I can do is keep doing what I have been doing and be prepared so when the Lord knocks on my door or my heart, I respond and open it with a full heart and open mind. I believe that is what this passage is telling us to do. To count your blessings and look around and see that God is good and take refuge in that fact. So if you look around and don't see good, you're not looking for God. How could you possibly build your refuge in the bad that surrounds you? I encourage you to take a look at the full color image of today's banner photo. If you've ever seen a sunset like that and a beautiful tree like that, you know exactly how majestic the Lord's creation is and how blessed we are to live on this planet. Remembering that is a good place to start counting your blessings.

The second part of this passage is also clear. You must fear the Lord and if you do, you lack nothing. Fear the Lord because if the God that can make the universe and little old you, comes for your life or whatever you think you have created that needs protecting, you stand no chance against Him. None. But to fear Him, or to fear anything, to me, means to afford it the proper respect. I'll give you an example. I fear guns. I've shot them. I know how to care for them. I don't think they should be banned or anything like that, but I fear them. For sure. When I see a gun, I respect it. I give it space unless I'm the one engaging with it. I treat it with care so that it can function properly. I fear what it can do and I fear what it is. So I respect it and treat it the same way I treat the Lord. The only difference is, I worship the Lord. I don't worship guns.

I do this because this passage says that if I fear God, I will lack nothing and for me, it's true. Every time I put my faith in him, I realize that I lack absolutely nothing. I may not have all the things in place that I want to have in place in my life, but there isn't one thing out of place. I lack nothing. Even if I were a bum on the street, I would find shelter and go from there. I lack nothing because I have the Lord with me. Amen.

The Lord said to him: "I have heard your prayer and plea you have made before me, I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there." - 1 KINGS 9:3

Morning Devotional:

I don't want to be fancy today. Just want to pray.

Lord, thank you for all the blessings and pains of this month. Please guide me this day and the many days to come. Please let me grow closer in your Word and through deed. I want to follow your vision for my life and I'm still trying to figure out what that is. I want to stay steadfast in prayer so that I reflect the love you have shown me. In Jesus name. Amen.

"I will make the rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs." - ISAIAH 41:15

Morning Devotional:

The verse it from Isaiah, but the glory it rejoices in comes from all over the Word. We know that God is great. to quote a sermon I heard this week, "We know how God is... How are you?"

Right now, blogger-verse, I'm pretty good. I've been counting my blessings and working to get back to the best version of myself. It is difficult though. Sometimes it is more than I can bare, but that's why we need God. That's why we need prayer. That's why we need each other. Pray with me and give glory to God, please. Amen.

"So the kind of Israel check on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places." - 2 Kings 6:10

Morning Devotional:

There are places in our lives that we must guard against the will of Satan in his attempts to try and trick us into sin. That's the only way he can do it. Satan has to convince us that what the Lord says 'may or may not be true' in order for us to suspend belief for just a minute and then he can snatch us up in sin and start a fight or break a commandment.

That is why we must be on guard and in ways that we never thought we might have to be. If you encounter this kind of sin in your life on a daily basis, you'll know what I'm talking about. The evil that comes to mind might just be subtle like a bit of road rage or an intense disliking of someone that comes from a place of hate inside your soul. It's different for everyone, but it must be guarded against. I say this because every person has to separate their thoughts, emotions, and actions and the more you're able to separate them and act in accord with the Lord and not in line with all thoughts and emotions, the more you'll notice His blessings anoint you. Amen.

"Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend." - PROVERBS 22:10-11

Morning Devotional:

In my past, I've been a heckler. A mocker of men and women in sports, mostly. I heckle as many people as I can find. I used this ability as a kind of "getting in the opponents head" type challenge. "Can I throw this person off their game because they now need to concentrate on what I'm heckling vs. just focusing and playing their game?" That was my goal. Always. And sometimes it worked and I was able to throw people off kilter. Other times it failed miserably and I was the one who had to end my insults and quarrels.

But the Word of the Lord here tells us a different strategy. One of kindness. One of Love. He says to LOVE with a pure heart and speak with grace. If you do that, you will have KINGS for friends. -- And that's the strategy I chose in my personal life. When I wasn't at a game as a spectator trying to heckle, I was speaking with grace and love.

But living with those contradictions is difficult. And too often, I would sink into the heckling to get attention because it was easier. My college professor would call it 'poking people in the eye with a sharp stick.' But doing that does not bring you friends. It does not bring your family closer to you. In fact, it drives everyone around you further and further away until you're all alone. And we need other people to survive in this world. So if you find yourself alone, consider that maybe even in your own head, you need to drive out your own internal mocker and start speaking to yourself with love and grace and then pass it on to others. That will always win you friends and bring people together. The Lord says so. Amen.

"Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grade of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." - 1 TIMOTHY 1:13-14

Morning Devotional:

I was reminded this morning of my past. Even while going to church and trying to figure out my faith, I was living a life of sin, terrible sin. I only recently came back to the Lord. For years, I claimed to know Him, but I was not a good follower. I was a blasphemer and a persecutor. I once argued with my family for hours that God didn't exist. After experiencing his glory first hand, I can only say that I was wrong and am absolutely thankful for His grace. Without it, my spirit would be dead.

The message today isn't about me though, I want you to know that God does this to all his people. Even if you aren't a believer, this happens to you because you were created by God. All people are. And just because maybe you don't believe in Him, doesn't mean he doesn't know you. He knows all people. ALL PEOPLE. And He allows the evil of the world to tempt and to dig its claws into us just to see if we would continue to praise the Lord through it all. When times are the toughest, that's when we must pray our toughest. We pray so that we can rejoice even greater when the blessings come. When times are good, he wants to see if you will share in his blessings, whatever that means to you.

Just remember that He is a jealous God and you are not to put other God's before Him. Be faithful because it's sometimes hard to see that all blessings come from the Lord. I know it is. I've been there and chosen the sin thinking it was a blessing. But just like I've been there and chosen sin, I am now here, choosing the bread of life. Everyone can. It's up to you. Amen.

"There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your family shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you." - DEUTERONOMY 12:7

Morning Devotional:

The message this morning is one of thanksgiving to the Lord. It is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, but in reality, the holiday has been twisted and distorted by the legacy of our ancestors and the modern day media machine. It means many things to many people, but for me, I just simply want to use it to say thanks and that I hope this feast and day is a reflection of 'everything I put my hand to.'

Specifically, I want to pray this:

Dear Lord, thank you for the bountiful harvest of this year, 2021. I know not every year will have a feast like this available to me, but only as I remain faithful to you and keep your Word. Even then, it is not guaranteed. Please let this time with my family bring more peaceful days and fewer days of crisis, if that is Your Will. Thank you for all the gifts you have given me. I will continue to spread your Word and work in your Love. In Jesus Name. Amen.

"Come and listen, all you who fear God, let me tell you what he has done for me." - PSALM 66:16

Morning Devotional:

I want to share, this morning, about all the great things God has done for me. He has given me a home and surrounded me with love and support, and I can't help but to sing His praises for all of these things.

I want to share one of the things that have helped me the most in the last few weeks and is an inspiration from the Lord, for sure. My gratitude list. A few weeks ago, when I was in the hospital, I started writing down 10 things that I am grateful for every day. I try not to repeat them and I do this daily. I found when I wrote them down on paper I would miss a few days, and this week I decided to leverage my Facebook reminders to never miss a day and fill my social media with gratitude.

I see my Facebook memories all the time. I have a reminder set to show me every day and for whatever reason, in the past, I've just done a lot of complaining. I've used Facebook as a personal, yet very public journal. Starting last week, whenever I look at my memories, the next thing I do is post my gratitude list as a private post, visible only to me.

I started doing this because Facebook has been a repository of negative life events for long enough and I really want to be able to look back on my memories on Facebook in a year or two and be able to see how being grateful for everything in my life changed my life's trajectory. So, instead of being a "review of all my bitching," I'll know that when I click into see my "memories to look back on" I will have a list of things that I know I'm grateful for and I'll be able to add to it. Every year. Every day.

I thank God for this inspiration and I really thank Facebook for making it possible to have this kind of relationship with my personal page.

Email me at geoff@godsworkstudios.com if you have a unique way the Lord has used social media in your life. I'd love to hear about it. Amen.

"Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them." - ECCLESIASTES 9:12

Morning Devotional:

I chose this verse this morning because Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes in my version of the Bible is titled "A Common Destiny for All." I know that just as I suffer unexpectedly, so also do you. Recently, I was in a definite struggle that lasted weeks. I was unsure about my future in the treatment I'm getting and the answers were coming in slowly. If you've ever been there, pause and praise God. -- It's not as if we are able to plan the bad things that happen to us. They just happen. But even though they happen we have to remind ourselves that it's not a constant state. At some point the momentum will change or the direction will shift, but it happens in God's time. That's why prayer is so important. It will help you through any situation and it is what the Bible tells us to turn to in times of weariness or struggle. I know I need to remember to lean on prayer and lean on the Lord in those situations. I am still learning how to be a devout follower of Christ. I could have prayed more, but instead I chose to worry. Nothing seemed to help. We all share this common destiny, but just like we share the common destiny, we share a common remedy, PRAYER. And wouldn't you know, as quickly as the storm arrived in my life, the answer was presented. The treatment plan came through. The storm has passed, but I wasn't in a position to praise God as I should have. I was still in a place of worry and not praying. So, that's something I am going to work on these next few weeks. Being more prayerful so that I can praise Him accordingly. Please guide me on this path Lord. Amen.

"And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat." - LUKE 8:3

Morning Devotional:

Christ our Lord, moments like today are why I need you with me. I try to communicate and it just doesn't work. I pray and it seems to make things worse. Teach me, O Lord. Please help me understand. Amen.

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it it; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

Morning Devotional:

This is a day the Lord has made and it's important to remember that the goal for our life is to live for Christ. That doesn't automatically make things easy. Usually, following Christ is going to make things a bit more challenging because you're going to have to actively battle sin and Satan's deceitful ways. That is why I chose this verse and picture today because mistakes and falling for Satan's tricks is going to happen. We will make mistakes in this path. But what we cannot do is get bogged down in the past. I feel like I did that yesterday and gained nothing in the process. We must press forward toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That call is toward love and redemption. That call is toward peace and prosperity. And we have to remember that even when the devil snatches us from time to time, the Lord is there to catch us on the way down, forgive us, and stand us right back up in His Word. Thank you for that Lord. Please continue to bless those who read this devotional. Amen.

"Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the furthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name." - Nehemiah 1:8-9

Morning Devotional:

The verse today is from his prayer in the first chapter of Nehemiah. I chose that along with the image of a church because it's Saturday and if you haven't decided if you want to go to church or not, or haven't found a home church, have obligations such as work on Sunday morning that force you to miss church, or simply don't believe any more, I want you to remember this prayer. Just like most people in America, I too had grown away from the church. Didn't really care. I grew up like that, chatting in the balcony rather than sitting and listening to the sermon. I barely opened a hymnal. And what did the Lord do to Geoff? He scattered me to all corners of the United States. He made me wander and I wandered into sin. But I have returned from the furthest horizon to come back and praise His holy name. You cannot imagine how amazing God is until you experience a church full of God's love. You may not agree with everything that the church does or everything the pastor says or every person that calls themselves a member. Your faith walk is your own, but you need others in your walk to help you, especially when you grow weary. And the only place you can always find God's love is as this verse says, "the plate I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name." To me, that's church. So find your church and go. Sing praises. Give thanks. Listen to the message. Take time on Sunday to be with God. Amen.

"Every word of God is flawless, he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." - Proverbs 30:5-6

Morning Devotional:

This verse is a tough one for me this morning. I see myself in this scripture for sure. The entire goal of the political party that I started was a politics 'based in loving kindness.' If that sounds familiar it's because I got the lesson from Jesus, but I was using it as my own. -- To break it down literally with this verse, I wasn't taking refuge in the Word, I was using it as if it were my own ideas. I was adding to his words in my posts and in my tweeting, boasting for myself, but using the Lord as my backstop and not my shield and armor. And so, the Lord rebuked me and proved me to be a liar. I was defeated not by other politicians and people, but the Lord our God. That is why I stopped doing political things. My life was turned upside down, not by the government or some scandal, but by the Lord our God. I see this verse very clearly as the correct path forward now. The Word of God is flawless. If you don't take refuge in him, he will let you know just as he has let me know. Thank you, Lord for redeeming sinners like me through your son Jesus Christ. Without him, I would be lost. Amen.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." - 1 John 2:16

Morning Devotional:

Sin is the hardest thing for me to wrap my mind around. I sin every day. As a human it is unavoidable. It just happens. My mind wanders just a bit and the next thing you know, I'm lusting after something that I don't have, don't really need, don't really want, but I find myself desiring it. What I do next when I find myself sinning like this is really important because I cannot avoid it if I want to live a 'normal' life. The world is draining our culture of God left and right and sin, and sometimes heavy sin, is going to be involved. It's unavoidable and the tricks and schemes of the devil are individualized. But we all must remember to avoid it, and walk away, as often as we can and keep focus on God. It's important because enjoying the sins of this world may be nice, but they are nothing compared to the glory that God is extending to us in a relationship with Him. I pray today that my focus can remain on God and what He wants me to do as often as I can. Amen.

"When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." - GENESIS 39:3-4

Morning Devotional:

As someone who is just reading the full story of Joseph for the first time, I do see a bit of myself in him. While I am not as faithful as he was, I am certain that God has worked through me in almost every job I've had that I even in the worst circumstances, I have been able to find success. Today I want to thank God for that. I couldn't have had anything that I had without Him. I won't have any success in the future without Him. I made a mistake that Joseph doesn't seem to make at all. I made the mistake of not putting God first. I made the mistake of not praising His holy name before I took on a task or an assignment. I made the mistake of leaving God out of my life and yet he still continued to bless me with success. It is an amazing blessing to have done the work that I have done, but it is even more amazing that God blessed that work for His good and His glory and I had no clue. Thank you, Lord, for continuing to look out for me and bless my work, no matter what I choose to do. Amen.

"So David gave orders to assemble the aliens living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God." - 1 CHRONICLES 22:2

Morning Devotional:

Whether we know it or not or believe it or not, the Lord is asking us all to build a temple to Him. Temple made of our body and mind and environment. He wants us to build a temple of stone, which is the solid rock of Jesus Christ our Lord. As I was walking this morning, I must admit that temptation came over me several times. Temptations to tweet. Temptations to frustration. Temptations to do something other than praise His holy name. I don't know about you, but these are the moments that give me more pause than any others. I really have to concentrate and pray. Pray to see if this action that has come to my head is built on the rock of Jesus' love or in the sand of Satan's destructive beach. I believe that kind of prayer beings true wisdom into our life. That kind of prayer is power focused through the lens of our Lord. That kind of prayer is the solid rock of the glory that extends grace to cover all sins.. Thank you, Lord, for that lesson. Amen.

"'I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot.' declares the Lord" - HOSEA 2:13

Morning Devotional:

Today has already been a struggle, Lord, and it's barely 9am. I pray and it doesn't seem to be the right prayers or the right time. I try to communicate and it doesn't seem to be the right words or the right time. I know, in my heart, that it is because I have forgotten to bring you with me in all I do. From my past to now. I am trying, but it just doesn't seem to be good enough and my way of communicating hasn't made anything better. It has just dug the hole deeper over what I see as trivial matters. But to you and to others, these may not be trivial matters. And again, I know it is because I have forgotten you. Please help me not forget you the rest of the day. Please help me remember to start with you and end with you in my work, O Lord, even when it is hard. Thank you for your blessings. Amen.

"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." - MATTHEW 1:24

Morning Devotional:

When I woke up this morning, I was immediately reminded of the majesty of the Lord. The sun was up and shining brightly through my window. It had been raining for the last two days here in my part of New England so to see the sun and feel its powerful light through the shades on my window, I knew it would be a special Sunday. I chose the Battlefield at Gettysburg as the image for today because it is clear the God is calling some of us to do things that we know will lead us into situations that might be risky. There is no gain without some pain. The Lord wants us to be happy and healthy, but unless we are willing to sacrifice and do the work that is necessary to get us from where we are to where we are going, there is no way we achieve what we want to achieve. Through it all, though, we must remember what God commands of us. We must pray and praise His name. Through it all. Always. Amen.

"'How can I set this before a hundred men?' his servant asked. But Elisha answered 'Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: 'They will eat and have some left over.' Then he set it before them, and they are and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord." - 2 KINGS 4:43-44

Morning Devotional:

My prayers this morning were of thanksgiving to the Lord. There is no doubt in my mind and there should be no doubt in yours that His glory and His goodness and His Word is that of miracles. With His Word and through faith and prayer, He's fed thousands with a few fish and bread. Through faith and prayer we see again in this story from 2 Kings that He feeds hundreds with just a small amount of grain from a faithful servant. Let us see that this is how it works in our life as well. When we pray, we will find over and over and over again that God will give us plenty to eat and some left over if we trust Him and pray. Amen.

"Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees, then I will keep them until the end." - PSALMS 119:37

Morning Devotional:

I use the image this morning for the Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota for a reason. When my ancestors came over from parts of Europe, not all of us were Christian missionaries just trying to survive and live without prosecution. Some of the folks that came over were swindlers and didn't understand the first thing about what it means to live with God's love in their hearts and practice loving their neighbor as they love themselves. -- Some of the Christian missionaries didn't understand that either. -- What my ancestors and those of other white European people did by dismantling the Native population and way of life was not what God teaches us to do as members of his church. Sure, you're going to make some people upset by living a God-centered life. Not everyone wants to take up this cross. But by systematically murdering and driving the people who already lived here off the land so that we might be able to exploit it for our gain is just not what the Bible teaches us to do. It teaches us to LOVE one another and live in harmony. Today, I want to remember that. That it is my job in Christ to love and keep from sinning as best I can. Amen.

"This is the way to Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men." - LUKE 1:25

Morning Devotional:

The Lord has asked me, Geoff, to do things that I know I am capable of doing. I can do all things when He strengthens me. Even thought I struggle to understand from time to time, the Lord is patient with me and forgiving when I stumble, and I stumble A LOT. Without Him as my light, I am lost and without His Son, I am dead. I am thankful for His grace in my life so as to uplift the Kingdom of His Creation. If I can move one step closer to honoring his Kingdom with all my heart today, it will feel as thought I have helped move mountains. The Lord is the only one that is capable of miracles like that, so I must trust Him in faith. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and guidance. Amen.

"Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, 'You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.'" - ACTS 25:12

Morning Devotional:

Waking up this morning, I am thankful for all the challenges and blessings God has put forward in my life. If He has also challenged you, let it be a blessing that it may make you stronger and bring you closer to Him. Do not be discouraged. Even if the waves of negativity or a challenging tests push you to your limits. Turn to Him. Praise Him. Learn from our brother Paul in Acts. Find your truth in God and stay relentlessly in His word and in His guidance for the benefit of you, finding redemption in Christ, but also for the glory of the Kingdom of God. Amen.

"They profess to know God, but by their deeds, they deny Him, being detestable, and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed." - TITUS 1:16

Morning Devotional:

Thank the Lord for this beautiful morning. Is is getting a bit cooler outside and during this past summer (and my whole life), this verse described almost every action I took. I claimed to know God, but I was ignorant of his true grace and glory. I know now that I am saved, through Jesus Christ or Lord and that gives me hope and life. I am sorry for my sins in the past and I ask forgiveness and it is given through the sacrifice of God's Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope to use this day for love and prayer and exaltation so that the Kingdom of God may grow one day fuller through me. Amen.