Theology A-Z Devotion b5 3

Insights Into God
52 Reflective Meditations
From A-Z you will find meditations about

God and His relationship with us.
Paul R. Friesen (DBS)

Insights Into God A-Z
2
The Author
The author is truly God Himself. I would take credit, but

the inspiration and glory go to God. People have read
these in the first version, which was only 26 and
expressed blessings to their life through reading it.
I was raised an MK in a Christian home. It wasn’t all fun

and games. It has been a learning experience that God
has used to bless other people.
Be blessed form the reading. Reflect on the reading

through the questions in the back. Share it with friends or
people who need some encouragement in the spiritual
life.
Professor / Pastor Paul R. Friesen
3
4
List of Meditations
A is for Awesome
A is for Angry
B is for Better
B is for Batter
C is for Cross
C is for Crutch
D is for Death
D is for Desire
E is for Everything
E is for Energized
F is for Foolish
F is for Friend
G is for Gift
G is for Goat
5
H is for Holy
H is for Hard
I is for Inquisitive
I is for Insight
J is for Jesus
J is for Judas
K is for King
K is for Kin
L is for Lamb
L is for Light
M is for Memory
M is for Mind
N is for New
N is for Night
6
O is for Open
O is for Other
P is for Perfect
P is for Precious
Q is for Quiet
Q is for Quaint
R is for Real
R is for Reaction
S is for Salvation
S is for Security
T is for Truth
T is for Trunks
U is for Understanding
U is for Umbilical
7
V is for Vessel
V is for Vassal
W is for Worry
W is for Wait
X is for eXcited
X is for eXalted
Y is for Young
Y is for You
Z is for Zero
Z is for Zealot
8
9
A is for
Awesome
Thought for the day
How awesome is our God? We often fail to take advantage of His
power and His promises. Today, focus on how He demonstrates
His awesomeness through impossibilities.
10
Prayer
Dear God,
As I move into this day, I desire to give You the honor and praise
deserved. You alone can turn my day in a new experience with
You through my impossibilities.
Thank you for participating in my day.
In Jesus name,
Amen
11
Read Joel 2: 18-32

If we turn the word around we can see SOME and AWE. Something makes us
fix our focus. We cannot turn away from what we see because it is so
different. Awesome draws us into the power of the object. Not a
mesmerizing draw but an empowering sense of desire to follow.
We have an AWESOME God because what and who He is. He can create
anything from nothing. He speaks, and it happens. How many times I wish I
had this power. It is this sense of desire that drives us forward to be more like
God.
Other A words are ARBITRARY and ABSOLUTE. There are no gray areas with
God, only absolutes. When God speaks, it is exact and clear. There is no need
to think hard about what He said or desires. His power is so clear and pure
you can see through it. The consequences or blessings are spelled out clearly.
Though we are in the image of God, we cannot match the AWESOMENESS of

His power. But we can be AWE-struck by those who would seem to have this
power. When we are in this mode, we cannot see clearly. We can get
confused. Remember God’s power is clear, and we can see even if we do not
understand. When we are AWE-struck, we are hypnotized and enslaved to
another’s power.
If we were to read the whole chapter of Joel 2, we would find that God has
pledged to restore all that the people lost. Often this is where preachers find
the health and wealth Christianity idea. In this chapter, the warning to fear
what is coming but not the return to God as the last option is a key.
God, in His awesomeness, could stop the locusts from coming. He could with
a word give prosperity to Israel, but He chose not to. God has a plan for his
people. I can imagine the people crying out to God for help only to ignore
Him. Don’t we do the same things sometimes?
12
Israel had continued to ignore their God and the signs of the times. At the
same time, the Lord their God continues to reach out to them.
Read the book of Revelation, and this concept goes to the last chapter. God
never gives up trying. We give up because of our arrogance and character.
Israel had everything but the freedom they thought the other nations had.
Bring created in the image of God is an awesome blessing. We have the

freedom to choose our direction and our consequences in life. What makes
our God awesome is not His power but His mercy and grace. Other Gods
would have destroyed the people because they would not worship them. Our
God will continue to reach out until all of our time to change has gone.
Choosing to serve isn’t for everyone. Most people prefer to have an

awesome experience defined as life without rules. Consider history a bit, and
you will find that this concept doesn’t work well. History demonstrates that
not only are rules needed but an entity that determines directions as well.
I say this because in one town the lead entity is a dog, not a person. Imagine
a town voting a dog into a power position of the mayor. The dog cannot read
or write, has no degrees, and no business profit. The idea is so opposite to
what we may call normal rules.
We do the same in our lives. We put other entities in our lives because we
can blame it for the mistakes we make. In this case, it works because that is
what happens. Everyone focuses on the entity and the happiness it will gain
from the decisions made. Imagine it could tell the truth of what it thinks and
took power. Chaos would erupt over the demands it would make.
Israel had choices to make. A war was coming, and they were going to lose.
They had a choice to change or die. Changing would bring salvation and
victory, but they had to give up the power they thought they had. Too often
we choose to hang on to our limited power when God wants to show how
awesome He truly is.
13
A is for
Angry
Thought for the day
We often forget that God gets angry. We focus on His love alone
which warps our view of His power. It is anger than energizes and
balances the love which He demonstrates daily in our lives.
14
Prayer
Dear God,
Through our failures we find mercy. We often forget that our
selfishness for glory angers You. I may never understand how
angry You feel when I continue in my sin. I pray that I will not
forget your anger is as strong as your love.
In Jesus name
Amen
15
Read Deuteronomy 32:28 – 42

A is also for ANGER. I know you, and I get ANGRY. It is part of God’s character
that we have. ANGER is not wrong. In fact being ANGRY can be very godly.
The question is why we get ANGRY. It is for the same reason that God gets
ANGRY most of the time. We do not get the glory. We do not get the pat on
the back that we think we deserve. We also get ANGRY because we want to
be number 1.
God gets angry for basically one reason. He wants us to have His power, His
balance, His eyes, His desires. His desire for us is so high that when we
disobey. He cannot give us the blessings and gift that He wants to give us.
Anger does not drive God’s emotion. His only desire is to be #1 in our life. It is
the constant disobedience on our part that makes Him angry. What drives us
is emotion. Such an opposite and what gets us into trouble.
God has also limited Himself to his promises. When we see a rainbow, the
promise was made by God not to destroy the earth again. When God made
Israel a nation, from the seed of Abraham, He promised protection and
propagation. At times, this promise may not be seen as holding because of
Israel’s wanderings and losses in battle. There was always remnant to
continue the lineage.
Reading the Old Testament, it is written that God wanted to wipe Israel off
the earth and make a new people, but His promise restrained the anger.
Balancing promises and anger is not an easy feat for any person.
Restraining ourselves from overreacting also does nothing to kill the anger.
We hide it hoping it doesn’t come out. It does in our relationships, even God.
That is why God’s anger, or righteous anger, is restrained and balanced. The
love that He has for His creation is the foundation of the anger. It is the
foundation of all promises He makes.
16
Anger never gets in front of love. It is what makes the mercy we receive so
precious. We deserve anger because we fail to meet the standard set for our
relationship.
As a father, the love for my children does not mean I deny them discipline.
Rather, the love I have denies me the force I might use in anger.
If He is such an AWESOME God why not give Him our whole life. Let Him get
ANGRY because He sees the past and the future. He made us in His image
and understood our desires more than we do.
Most of all He, God, never loses His emotional balance, which is why He is
so AWESOME in power.
17
B is for
Better
Thought for the day
We always want to be better. We desire to have those pats on the
back to affirm us. We should strive to have a better relationship
with Jesus Christ. This one relationship is the source of our
balance and stability.
18
Prayer
Dear God,
I desire to improve my relationship with You. At the same time, I
get distracted by my desires. Today I ask that my relationship with
You will move one step closer.
In Jesus name,
Amen
19
Read James 1: 2-25

We all want to achieve in life, and we want our children to do better than our
generation.
God wants us to be better as disciples. Many people followed because of the

miracle power, but not many became disciples.
God wants us to move from followers to disciples so He can have a better

relationship with us that gives us peace, power, and confidence for our stress
every day.
We try to butter Him up or do things that will make Him give us more
blessings. Look what James says to the Jerusalem church. Count it as joy
when troubles come.
Last week I opened our professor's orientation with a devotional on the

power of brokenness. Brokenness is also a B word and one which we don’t
think of as a positive most of the time.
We focus on healing, forgiveness, and wholeness, not brokenness. The key is

not to have a better life but a better relationship with Jesus Christ.
In life, things will fade and maybe lost. Computers and phones may crash,
and our companies fail. Our relationship with Jesus Christ will continue.
It is easy to get angry at someone for what they say. The anger eats at our
energy and adds to our stress. Our brokenness in front of God will be where
we regain our strength. We read the Bible and know a lot of information
about it, but fail to discover what God wants to talk to us about.
My mother told me that since my father died, she has had better talks with
God. She has been a missionary for 40 years and a Christian much longer.
How we define better is very important. To be better than we are already is

not a very good base for which to measure. If we are to measure ourselves to
others and their abilities we may get depressed. We all want a better life. We
all want to see improvement in the next generation.
20
At the same time, we need to compare oranges with oranges, not cacti.
Today many practitioners are teaching the idea of self- improvement. Though
this does help, it does not give us a good measure.
I want to lose weight. Therefore I compare myself after a few weeks. I may
have met my weight loss goal, but not achieved the discipline to keep it
down. Improvement is healthy and positive.
Changing for the better is a great goal, but limited in power. We need to build
a foundation that will keep us focused during any storm and had only one
purpose. That is a better life. One filled with peace, power, and confidence
that changes the
Better is all about our relationship with God. If we want our children to do
better, our life to be less stressful, our happiness and peace to be deeper, the
key is a better relationship with God.
21
B is for
Batter
Thought for the day
We like to cover our bad habits with a nice batter. At other times
we feel battered by the storms of life. We are tired and feel our
relationship with God is in worn and tattered. God sees through
our coverings and seeks to renew our relationship.
22
Prayer
Dear God,
I feel worn out and tired today. The stress I carry is truly yours, O
Lord. In my storm, I know you are there. Calm the winds and
renew my strength. Turn my battered soul into a strong sail,
moving me forward in a quiet sea.
In Jesus name,
Amen
23
Read Mark 4:35 -41

“Batter” almost sounds the same as “better” if you aren’t careful. Batter is
what you cover things with if you deep fry them. Like a KFC chicken bucket
full of battered chicken. It is also the raw liquid dough the becomes pancakes.
In our culture, we have lessened the amount of batter for our health. We like
the spices but don’t like the unhealthy grease that sticks to it. Batter is great
for those finger foods like chicken wings and deep-fried shrimp and often
used to cover things up that are not so tasty. It’s so runny and holding it in
your hand makes it difficult to control.
Batter is also a verb. The disciples felt quite battered after the storms they
faced trying to cross the Sea. We also feel tired because the circumstances of
life have battered us.
Our expectations of others haven’t been on target. People demand too much
of us because we have a skill they need. We want to give up because to keep
going seems like too much work, or it takes too much energy.
In real life, we put the batter on things we do not want to deal with. We
cover these things up with emotions or actions. We go to Church and give big
testimonies to feel and look good. We do not like the truth, but it is the truth
that sets us free.
Of course, we batter other people to look better which we don’t need to do.
We need to look at ourselves as God sees us. When we see ourselves as God
sees us, we can set ourselves on a course to change, but this change never is
easy most of the time.
Making batter is easy. A few spices, eggs, milk, flour, salt, and a few more
small things. The batter is also neutral, so it is our choice of how we use it. If
we use it to cover our sin, we will never enjoy the true nature and power of
God. If we change the spices, we can have a life which is enjoyable, so we are
a blessing to others.
24
To give BALANCE to these, we need to focus on being a BLESSING to others.

Which is what God wants for you, me, and all of His creation. If we all focus
on God’s creation as a BLESSING to each other, this means our desires and
reason to be; our lives will become BETTER.
What are the ingredients of out batter? Do they consist of the fruit of the
Spirit or more personal traditions? Maybe we prefer to batter other people
through gossip or cover our sins, so nobody sees the truth about us.
It is better to understand that Jesus can see what is under the batter. We
cannot hide the truth from Him. Therefore, we should live out our
relationship with Him to others. That is better.
25
C is for
Cross
Thought for the day
Crosses are often worn or hung on a wall. Some will even get a
tattoo in a variety of styles. The key to the cross is its center.
26
Prayer
Dear God,
In Jesus name,
Amen
27
Read Luke 14: 25 – 35

I have seen CROSSES in many shapes and sizes. They hang around the necks
of people, are stuck on the doors of people’s houses, and mark the night sky
as markers for the lost.
For many, the idea of CROSS is the idea of change or the CROSSROADS of life:
A time to make decisions when you don’t know where to go. For some the
choices are easy. For others, the choices made for the pain of severed
relationships. Crossroads are there in all of our lives.
The decision about the cost of discipleship is the crossroad we face today and
whether it is worth it. Why not just be a follower. When we evangelize, it is
important that we commit to discipleship. There are so many followers
because it is part of our culture.
We follow the leader of our group who, in turn, follows the wishes of their
boss. We are asked to perform or lose, but we do not consider our
relationship with Christ with the same commitment. Most of the time, we
consider this only when our life is not going well. At that point, we have a
point when we have to make hard decisions.
There are also times when we face CROSSwinds that want to distract our
attention and energy. These CROSSwinds can be simple things that drag us
away from our meditation or prayer time. They are not bad but to stay on
track we need more strength to stay focused. We keep trying to keep our
image and hide our disappointment in our spiritual power.
When we came to the CROSS what did we expect?
The CROSS of Christ is not something to hang around our neck or on a wall.
The CROSSroad required a real change of direction and sacrifice. If we read
verse 26, we react strongly, but it is true for some.
28
There is power in the true CROSS of CHRIST. The sacrifice that Jesus made for
you and me. From the beginning, the blood which was required was replaced
with Jesus’ blood. We would no longer have to paint our doors with it as
protection. It is this CROSS that we must pass through like a door to heaven’s
gate. Without it, there is no future life just an earthly existence with on our
bodies on CROSSES.
When we travel, crosses are found along the road. They are memorials to
those who were less fortunate. The shed blood has no power except as a
reminder to those passing by of a sacrificed life.
29
C is for
Crutch
Thought for the day
We like to cover our bad habits with a nice batter. At other times
we feel battered by the storms of life. We are tired and feel our
relationship with God is in worn and tattered. God sees through
our coverings and seeks to renew our relationship.
30
Prayer
Dear God,
In Jesus name,
Amen
31
Read Exodus 32: 1-20

C is for CRUTCH which we lean on while we gaze alone at the CROSS not
wanting to leave them behind because we are insecure.
Christ is never a crutch because He makes things happen, so we become

strong. Christianity is a crutch to lean on when we need an excuse not to do
something.
I say this because we use the same excuses all the time. We use culture as an
excuse not to obey rules. I have many Korean friends who say, “We are
Korean so don’t be upset.”
If we have an active relationship with Christ, we should throw away our

crutches. We do not need excuses for being ignorant or stubborn. We do not
need to use Christ as a reason to abstain from the culture around us.
Crutches are for sick people and poor leaders.
In our story today we find at least two crutches that we use today. The first is
the weakness of our faith when our leader is gone.
The people had just experienced a great deliverance from Pharaoh. Now they
needed some direction, and God knew that there needed to be some
boundaries set before the desert became a problem.
In this crutch, we find the dilemma of being a follower. We have no leader so

we cannot talk to God. We need a physical object to keep our relationship
with God active or viable.
Many people demonstrate this by having a cross on a chain, t-shirt, etc. We

carry a Bible around, so we have an excuse not to do things our co-workers
do which are not Christ-oriented giving us a false sense of security. We fool
ourselves mocking our faith. Our leaders have no good answers to our
questions, and our foundation of faith crumbles when challenged.
A second crutch is giving other gods the glory for what the TRUE GOD does.
How often do we do what the Israelites did here?
32
God gave the great escape through the blood of the firstborn on the door,
which was a sign of obedience. It was God who parted the waters using
Moses and his rod. When Moses left for a short time, the idol they made
became the object of their faith.
We need to build a foundation that is not only a bunch of stone of

memorized words and verses but an active empowering relationship that
does not need crutches.
Jesus Christ does not need crutches. We are the people of God who desires
to take our need for crutches and turn us into powerful culture changing
people.
33
D is for
Death
Thought for the day
Death is the beginning of life. The same with any love relationship.
We must die to self to truly experience a living relationship with
another.
34
Prayer
Dear God,
I love my self-image. I am worried what will happen when I die to
it. Help me to learn how to die to it so I can live with a greater
sense of peace, power, and confidence.
In Jesus name,
Amen
35
Read 1 Peter 4:1-19

The death of the richest woman happened not long ago. All the riches she left
are now left t the desire of others. With all the disasters happening, death is
inevitable. Death is something we don’t like to talk about, but it is the key to
our spiritual vitality.
The two “D” words we will consider are death and desire which are
inseparable topics for Christians.
Christians do not have the corner on death to self. Many religions teach the
same concept as the key to a successful and peaceful life. If we are dead to
self, we must give our life to another entity, or we die physically. It is this
submission that makes Christians different from the rest.
Peter opens with Christ’s suffering and our expectations to experience the
same things. What do we expect in our Christian life? Many preachers teach
Christians should be healthy and wealthy.
Though there are verses that will support this, what Christ taught was death
must come first before any of the other happens. This part is left out of many
sermons because people will shy away from those ideas.
From the beginning of Genesis, God demanded a focus on worship and

obedience. It seemed simple to obey in a perfect world, but it wasn’t. Our
free will, which is what God gave each of us in His image, is the problem. We
must die to this concept of free will.
Peter and Paul are together in this concept. Romans 12:2 And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect. When we die to self, we are renewed in purpose and
direction. As Paul writes in Romans 12, our purpose is to prove the perfect
will of God.
36
That means that our attitude should reflect not only God’s purpose but His
perfect understanding of how we fit into His perfect plan. Adam and Eve did
exactly that when they were in the garden. Communication with God was
without stress and distraction.
How can we do that when we focus on health and wealth? We can do it only
when we die to our self. It is through death that new life begins. It is a
concept that many new Christians are not taught. It is also what keeps many
people from continuing in a relationship with Christ. It is what takes away the
power of the church.
We find this in all the writings of scripture and especially in Revelation. Many
started strong only to deny the power of Christ because they would not die
to self.
We struggle with the concept of death because we are insecure about what is
on the other side. Our view of God makes us fearful, and so we should be. At
the same time, we must trust and have faith that His will for us will only make
us rich in Christ and healthy in a relationship.
For many of us, we want to know God before we give Him control. We want
to know He will take care of us. What we miss is the blessings and power
Jesus Christ wants to give us by having our faith challenged.
37
D is for
Desire
Thought for the day
What we desire most of the time will not last a long time. Our
desires change with age and circumstance. God’s desire for us
never changes and what He gives us lasts forever.
38
Prayer
Dear God,
How much I desire to have so much. How much my desire should
be to have more of You in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
39
Read Psalm 37: 1 – 24
Curiosity is what killed the cat they say. Desire is something all Christians struggle
with. It is also something that many Eastern religions focus on so to control your
ego.
In this Psalm we find David struggling with the world of sin around him. It is the
struggle to react or let God take care of the problem.
Our desire to get ahead, move forward and feel secure is natural. At the same time a
common phrase, used by Christians is “ Let go let God.” That is so much easier said
than done. A question I usually ask is where do our action and reaction change?
When Jesus chose His disciples, they were challenged to leave their jobs for a higher
desire. The desire to be a part of the new Team Messiah was their hope.
Their desire to have a new leader who could challenge Rome was in front of their
minds all the time. In this psalm, we discover why we should pursue Gods’ desires
and not ours. The first is that we will be given the land.
For Israel, it was a big deal to have land as a nation. Just like it is with South Korea.
Korea fights over Dokto Island and others. Israel would lose land to other nations,
and it was hard to have a hope of having a permanent piece for their people.
David was encouraged to understand that in the end, they would win because God
would return it to them.
Our step by step to hope is first to trust in the Lord to do what is right for us. The
second is in verse 4 and the true secret to our desire. “Find your delight in the Lord.
Then he will give you everything your heart wants.” I don’t think we think God
would do that. We say we trust God but do not delight in the Lord.
40
We can talk about what it means to delight yourself in the Lord, but it is giving up my
desire for His.
We struggle with that and challenge God to deliver our desires to prove Himself.
Rather, we should give Him our desires to choose which are the best for us. Then
watch as He brings them to us.
The third is “Commit your life to the Lord.” We move out of our comfort zone and
into God’s zone. There is a promise with this commitment. 6 He will make the
reward for your godly life shine like the dawn. He will make the proof of your honest
life shine like the sun at noon.
This promise is so awesome we can perhaps a moment in our life when this
happened. It is like falling in love and the glow you have when that commitment is
made.
Once we have moved forward with our commitment, we are to wait for God to act.
It takes patience, but it is a test of our commitment and trust of His desire for us.
Perhaps this is where we struggle the most. Commitment for a short time is not so
hard, but longer times make us trust less. Normal relationships in life are no
different.
Many people leave the church because of anger and impatience for God to work.
We are encouraged not to go that direction in verse 8. God tells David that evil
people will succeed, but we should still let God take care of it.
Our desire is focused on the physical while God’s desire is relational. Verse 1 reads,
“Those who do what is right may have very little. But it’s better than the wealth of
many sinners.” God wants us to understand that a relationship with Him is far better
than all of our desires combined.
41
E is for
Everything
Thought for the day

When God is everything, my life is full of energy. It is when I want
some of it for myself that I lose energy and focus.
42
Prayer
Dear God,
When I become nothing, Christ becomes everything. It is my key
to success as a person, regarding spiritual strength and impacting
my community. Move me closer to this goal, oh Lord.
In Jesus name,
Amen
43
Read Romans 12:1-21

In theology, people talk about the ten percent, or the tithe ignoring large
parts of the Bible. The tenth was to go for the Priests and maintenance of the
tabernacle and Priesthood. In reality, God wants 100% or EVERYTHING.
We find evidence of this principle in all books of Scripture. They were not to
commit to The Tabernacle or Church, but to Christ. In the Old Testament God
demanded 100% of their life to be successful. It was only the 100% that
would guarantee the success and lack of war with their neighbors. Sadly,
most of the time they followed the demands of those in charge. The resulting
life of slavery until they reset their values and goals was a cycle they found
hard to break.
In the New Testament, the people were encouraged to maintain their

commitment to the Christian ideal which required no blood sacrifice or
circumcision, but the message was again clear. The demand from God was
100%. You cannot serve two masters is the message of the Gospels. Paul
teaches that we must choose a life of slavery - to God or another. God
promises so much more than any other master. Wouldn’t a life of peace and
contentment be worth giving someone everything?
A common thought is that God wants 10% and we get the remaining 90.
From the 10 Commandments to Revelation the price of receiving maximum
power and blessing is a total dedication to God. Perhaps today you are in
need of peace of mind. You have stress because of circumstances. Jesus
wants your burdens and stresses. He has promised that when we give Him
our burden, the exchange is one much lighter. Why carry a heavy pack when
you can travel so much lighter.
The first commandment of the ten given to Moses states the intent and
purpose of the chosen people. You will have “ No other gods before me.”
There is nothing more important to the nation or life than the worship of the
true God.
44
Israel constantly challenged this but held firm to others. Israel was not
satisfied with what they were given. It would seem so easy to keep the ten
rules in their entirety, but it is restrictive. It takes away the “everything”
choice from the person and leaves it to God.
Israel followed traditions and rules in so many areas but failed in this one
badly. Jesus said His burden is light compared to the lives they were living
under the Pharisees and Sadducees. All He ever asked is that we give Him the
control, which is so hard to do even if the burden is so light.
You will bring so much more joy to those around you. Your impact on those
around you magnifies God as you give Him the glory for EVERYTHING, both
the good and the bad.
45
E is for
Energized
Thought for the day
When I am energized by my relationship with God, the footprints
I follow lead to life.
46
Prayer
Dear God,
Many days I am tired and without energy. It is hard to maintain
spiritual energy when I am so tired. Speak to me through Your
Word and others who bring Your energy and hope to my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
47
Read Philippians 2: 12-18
Has anything ever really energized you? Stimulated you so that sleep and
tiredness are never a part of your thinking. It is as if life has no worries, just
a drive as if you have the fresh wind behind you. I have had that experience
many times. You seem to have superhuman ENERGY. Once you have
experienced this in a relationship, you will desire it repeatedly. You cannot
bask in the past ideals. Rather it will drive you to find it again.
The difference is the source of the ENERGY. There is no secret formula to

this. Like all good theology, it is simple. People argue over what is God’s and
what is mine. The Church has got it so wrong so many times, while other
religions seem to keep this principle as a guiding light.
The idea of EVERYTHING and ENERGY is important because the connection

between the two is absolute. The same happens when a person is in love.
When we are ENERGIZED by our significant other, there is never a tired
moment. The small things that interfere with our relationship and takes the
ENERGY away, creating a thirst to continue our commitment.
Maybe this is the thirst that the Psalmist wrote about when he referred to
how the deer desires water, so my soul desires You, my God.
As with the previous meditation, we search for new ways to energize our
mind, body, and soul. From yoga and tai-chi to soft music and internal focus
meditation techniques. These are all great activities, but they don't satisfy
our thirst for power.
Throughout history, we read about people who gave up everything in

search of peace. They spent their energy as wise men, only to discover that
they had no power to secure their future. Others have risen to power, only
to die with nothing.
48
Our source of energy is in the submission of self to God, setting as our

purpose the worship of the King of Kings, no one less. To set our daily
routines and decisions to reflect glory to Him in all things. God set this from
the beginning as the source of all energy.
In today’s world, we struggle with distractions to our worship. We try to

budget our life financially. We schedule our lives to the minute. We get
burned out because we are trying to balance EVERYTHING equally. We
cannot give 100% to any one person or even family.
God has promised that if we give Him EVERYTHING, He will ENERGIZE our
life. This ENERGY comes because we have given control to Him and we no
longer have to worry about control. What are you waiting for? Why not try
the 100% ENERGIZER option in your life today?
49
F is for
Foolish
Thought for the day
At times we think we are so smart; then discover our thinking
was a bit shortsighted. The wisdom of man is foolishness to God
because He looks so much farther than us.
50
Prayer
Dear God,
I am so smart I am foolish. At times I think what you ask of me is
foolish and I follow my wisdom. Be patient with me as I learn to
trust your wisdom.
In Jesus name,
Amen
51
Read - Ecclesiastes 10
There used to be a phrase we used in evangelism, many years ago. It was

“Be a fool for Jesus.”The church in Corinth was known for its pride.
The message we speak is often unappealing to the world which wants

satisfaction through material things. What happens when you are in tune
with God is that this foolishness turns out to be the best thing for us.
We can’t imagine the negative things in our lives are the positives that God
has in mind. We become foolish by grumbling and complaining, which is
what happened to Israel so many times. God answered their prayers, and
they didn’t like the answer or were impatient. They wanted to be like the
nations around them.
God had set a system of worship and a promise of land to build a nation.
The people and leaders decided they didn’t like the system and asked for
leadership like the nations around them. When this failed, they continued
to try to find an answer to their troubles when the reality was, God, didn’t
want them to be the same but very different.
Have you ever said something and another person corrects you with more
or better information? You feel FOOLISH for speaking. What we would not
like to admit is this happens more than we share with others. Other times
we do it and feel very smart. In reality, all the new technology is a pinhead
of knowledge to God’s wisdom.
When I heard that a doctor performed heart surgery in 19 minutes and the
person went to work the next day, I was amazed. It was new today but not
new to God. We continue to discover how vast God’s knowledge is and how
little we truly know.
We shouldn’t confuse wisdom with knowledge which is the problem and

key to our FOOLISHNESS. God not only knows a lot, but He also knows how
everything we do today will affect our future. He also knows our history and
how much it affects our lives today. This understanding is wisdom.
52
We are called to do FOOLISH things. Imagine the stories of the Old

Testament which were considered FOOLISH to the peers of the Prophets
and Apostles.
There are so many of them. Can you imagine speaking to a rock and having
water come from it? How about being in a pinch and stretching your arm
out with a stick and waters separate. The Ark, when touched by unholy
hands, killed all who touched it. Or dipping in a dirty river seven times and
leprosy you have going away.
All of these were considered FOOLISH by the leadership of their times. In

fact, some people still think that they are FOOLISH. They are not real
because science cannot prove it. That is why as Christians we are called to
be FOOLISH. We are called to obey.
The problem is we act as FOOLS. We are FOOLISH, not because of God’s

wisdom and commands, but because we think we are smart enough to do it
ourselves. God wants more than just a bunch of FOOLS being FOOLISH. He
has called us to be His children.
God’s children are never fools unless they continue to disobey. If you
remember the story of Balak and Balaam, we can see how foolish we get
when our emotions get in the way. (Numbers 22) Balak did not see the
angel that the donkey saw. He only saw the donkey trying to make him
foolish.
We often think that when we fail, or our image is a bit tarnished because of
what we do, we are the fools. On the flipside, God demonstrated how wise
the donkey was, and what Balaam should have done in the first place.
God knows we will be foolish, but He will always show how wise He is and
get the glory. When we don’t understand what is happening in our life, we
need to stop a moment and let God open our eyes to the spiritual battle
that surrounds us.
In the eyes of the world, the birth of Christ was just not the way to do it. In
the eyes of God, it was another victory over Satan.
How do we see the foolishness of the world?

53
F is for
Friend
Thought for the day
A friend is sometimes the best medicine. Other times a friend
can bring heartache and stress. Jesus is the best friend we could
ever desire. He always has our best interest in return for our
commitment to His leadership.
54
Prayer
Dear God,
A good friend is hard to find at times. I don’t need many, but one
who is true throughout all of life’s stresses. I know You are there
to be my support and friend. Help me to be that kind of friend
today.
With thanks in Jesus name,

Amen
55
Read John 15: 1-17

These verses are used a lot in Christian discipleship. It is just before Jesus
teaches about how the world will reject us as they would reject Him.
There are two concepts found in scripture about our relationship with God.
The first is that we need to choose to be slaves to God or Satan. There are
only two choices.
The other is that we are heirs to the kingdom, because of our relationship
to the King. What Jesus says here is a better understanding of our
relationship to the main source of the tree.
If we are just slaves we would have no interest in the bosses business, but
our own lives. We would obey out of servitude. Our only interest would be
in saving our life through obedience.
On the other hand, Jesus says we are no longer slaves but friends. Do
people choose us, or we them, as friends? Perhaps both! Perhaps for the
same reasons, that being the benefit we have from being their friend.
Jesus says that He chose the disciples and told them everything He learned
from His Father. We can perhaps interpret this to mean everything the
Father thought important to convey to His friends.
We don’t tell our friends everything, but those things that are important to
us. God, being unlimited, could never tell us everything, because we could
never handle it.
At the same time, He has given us a lot of instructions for our lives through
scripture. He has also given us the Holy Spirit, who gives us access to a
much deeper and personal relationship. This relationship has benefits of
wisdom and knowledge that is beyond us. We have access to a much
greater power source to change lives around us, but we often ignore it.
Many preachers teach that we need to have Jesus as our “friend.” We then
tend to treat Him as a common friend, not Lord. There is a wide gap
between the two ideas.
56
Jesus wasn’t interested in a friendship that was dull and gossipy. He wanted
a friendship that was empowering. He chose the men to empower them to
change the world around them. Jesus committed Himself to opening all the
power of heaven to enable this goal.
As we enter the new year, one resolution we should consider is who Jesus
Christ, whom we just celebrated the birth of, as Lord and Master are.
We are “friends” in the sense of His commitment to giving us all the
benefits that heaven can give. Our part if this relationship is to remain
faithful to the relationship as an “only best friend.”, and has ALL the
answers to our stressors.
As our “best” friend, He is also Lord and should never be less. Our regular
physical friends are great, but will never be Lord of our life and therefore
always second in our life.
As a father, it is an honor to have your children’s respect. It is also a goal of
mine to be their best FRIEND. The role of each of these is different. A parent
has the responsibility to nurture the nature of the child. A FRIEND is often
the confidant of the child. It has a different respect value.
The parent disciplines the child because of their responsibility. A FRIEND is a
comforter and guide often. A place where the secrets of the heart are put
to think and get feedback.
God wants to be in the role of father and FRIEND. He wants our secrets
because He already knows them. He wants us to give Him our confidences
because He never tells anyone. Remember He forgives sins and forgets
forever. To make God our FRIEND we must desire Him, for when we desire
to be with Him our confidence in Him will grow.
What about you today? Are you a child of God? Is God your closest FRIEND
or like a parent, someone to whom you run when you need some cash or a
trip to the doctor? God wants to be your FRIEND, but first, you need to be
His child, so He can guide, and nurture His nature in you.
57
G is for
Gifts
Thought for the day
What is my spiritual gift? We all have at least one. When we
focus on our gifts life will run smoother. We may be good at
something, but with God behind our weaknesses what better gift
can we give others.
58
Prayer
Dear God,
I love gifts when they are given to me, but I find it hard to choose
what I should get others. I thank for your gift of hope. Bring me
people today with whom I can share it.

Amen
59
Read Jeremiah 29:4-23
Jeremiah is about captivity coming to Israel. In this letter, Jeremiah wrote

about the gift of fulfilled promise. All the skilled people and leaders had
been forced into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. This letter was one of hope
and promise.
At the end of the letter, there is a strong negative message to the priest
who was self-appointed. When we read Revelation, we discover the same
thing happening, and with the same consequences.
At the beginning of the letter, we find God encouraging the people to be
successful and pray for the success of Babylon, their master. We don’t often
like to pray for our enemies, but we find God has put Israel in this place, and
they should understand He is in charge.
Everything may not have been perfect, but it does mean that God had not
abandoned them in their captivity. This captivity came because Israel got
distracted and the leaders who chose their direction.
We have just celebrated another gift, which is a Savior and sacrifice. It is
through this gift that we have the Holy Spirit, another gift. It is through this
birth that we can experience God’s purpose directly in our lives.
There are so many gifts that we are given, but we ignore them, just like
Israel. We don’t think we need them, so we put them in a drawer or a box
for later. We have the gift of hope, but we struggle with depression because
of this forgotten gift.
It is what Israel needed. We have the gift of scripture, but it has become
boring and lifeless. We have the gift of direct access to God, which Israel
didn’t have as individuals, but we are scared to ask for more.
We consider our strengths, our gifts, but in reality, our gift lies in our
weakness because we must rely on God to empower it.
60
Israel was in a sad state and most likely wondered when this lack of
connection with God would end. The letter is very clear here. God told them
that they would be there for 70 years and He would visit them and keep His
promise.
When we wonder if God will answer our prayers, remember He has put us
in our position. He has a time set for us and will move when His time is
ready.
For Israel, the responsibility for the captivity lay with the leadership of the
nation. With the resurrection, this has become even more personal.
The New Testament has many gifts of the Spirit, but God is not limited to
those. As this letter encourages Israel, be successful where you are, and
God will move you in His time.
There needed to be changes made in the leadership before this captivity
ended. We don’t always see what changes need to be made to move us, but
we should not get discouraged. God has given us the gift of promise. He will
always keep His promise, even if we fail in ours.
61
G is for
Goats
Thought for the day
Goats are so cute and fun hanging on to cliffs to demonstrate
such security. Most of the time my life is a demonstration of the
goat's stubbornness, hanging on to things which give me
security.
62
Prayer
Dear God,
I am such a stubborn person most of the time. I am better with
you. Bring me to Your will so that I can reap the benefits fo your
wisdom and security.

Amen
63
Read Psalm 66
G is also for a GOAT which is stubborn and enjoys doing their own thing.
Sheep, on the other hand, wander around getting lost because they do not
pay attention. We are often like GOATS butting heads with our neighbors to
have some fun and show them that we are better than they are.
GOATS are cute and fun to watch, but we, as GOATS, think we don’t need
Him. We want to be the one at the top, the most important, or the one who
gets the attention. Like GOATS, we argue about how many gifts there are
and which ones we need. We ignore the fact that we should use them with
the power of the Holy Spirit. They are pure and empowering which is so
different than the character of the GOAT.
When we read scripture, we discover some things about GOATS. In Leviticus
16:5 we find the goat as the animal for the sin sacrifice while the sheep is
for the blessing sacrifice. The comparison is important because Jesus is the
“lamb led to the slaughter.” He is also referred to as “the Shepherd.”
The picture and understanding of sheep versus goats are very clear. If you
are like me, stubbornness is a natural thing. I like to think that being
stubborn is a positive. For goats, stubbornness is more annoying to other
people. This character trait is seen as a negative and often gets us into
trouble.
In Matthew, we discover that God separates the goats and the sheep. The
GOATS being those who have rejected the message of salvation. Sheep on-
the-other-hand follow the Shepherd easier, but not without wandering a bit
now and again.
Whether young or old the GOAT never gives us its independent spirit, or
desire to engage in debate with others. Israel was like this, and we are very
similar. Freedom is a gift from God but gets us into trouble a lot if the time.
Sheep lose some of the desire in exchange for a trust of their master to
bring them to adequate food and water.
64
GOATS will try anything when it comes to eating or experience. Israel did
the same if we read the Old Testament. They wanted to try what other
nations had and did. Other nations had kings and idols which gave them
success in war and control of the people.
We also desire what others have. It may not be the newest watch or car,
but it could be attention or acknowledgment of your strengths. It is when
we give up our desire for His that we discover the peace, power, and
confidence that GOATS think is natural to them.
We need to be more like mature sheep, relying on the Shepherd to lead us
versus the goat who lacks focus on things that count except for themselves.
65
H is for
Holy
Thought for the day
Holiness seems like an insurmountable challenge. We try so
many things to achieve it when it is so simple. Our assessment of
holiness runs into trouble because it doesn’t match up with
God’s.
66
Prayer
Dear God,
Holiness is always the drive in my mind, but I can’t achieve it on
my own. Bring me to an understanding of holiness Your way.
In Jesus name,
Amen
67
Read 1 Peter 1: 13 – 25
When Peter writes this, he is encouraging Christians to stay focused. One example
is Peter, crucified upside down for his faith.
In a quick overview of this passage, we find two “H” words that should not be
separated; Hope and Holy. Our hope is in the Lord who is holy. That is a simple
theological statement, but we get lost in how to define what is holy.
Hope requires the discipline of mind in a world of stress and chaos. When we get
stressed it is because of our hope has become cloudy. Hope is the only thing we
have as Christians in a word that is becoming more anti-Christian.
Why is hope so difficult for us to hold on to our faith? Perhaps it is because we are
not sure of what we are holding on to or for. HOLY is easily definable but harder to
grasp without a defined view of God.
Our view of God and what is important to Him becomes skewed. The God we serve
as Christians is intensely focused on our well-being, but it requires that we stay in a
state of holiness. What happens is Christians become unbalanced by going in one
of two extreme directions.
The first is feeling guilty when we disobey laws we think God has made for us. By
achieving a work for blessing attitude, we live in a virtual state of powerlessness.
We can never achieve holiness through any effort of our own.
The second extreme is I can do everything because God will forgive me. Personal
discipline is not as important as my self-satisfaction. This idea is called the once-
saved always saved theology.
Now imagine that you could access the treasures of heaven, have less stress, and
feel confident in your decisions you need to live a holy life. Nothing sense of
perfection is implied by eating only healthy or any works related to our value.
Peter says in verse 18 that we were set free from an empty life. If this is true why
do we feel so empty as Christians? We feel like we miss out on things in life when
we have just not tapped into the holiness of God and the power that flows from it.
In verse 17 Peter writes that we should think of ourselves as outsiders while we

are here. That is another key to being holy. How often do we consider ourselves
different than those who are not Christians? It has probably not crossed our mind
too often. We feel uncomfortable when we are not at least a bit similar.
68
This desire to be similar to the culture around us is a weakness and needs

discipline. We need to teach our children that we are different because God is not
Limited to what others do. This view of God is so important to our stresses and
empowerment.
Our view of God as being able to plan our life’s future, move people and
circumstances ahead and bring our dreams alive is hard.
What we need to do is speak differently. I have often said that we should address
God as Lord because of His position in our life as Lord and Master. We need to
affirm and repeat out loud this idea as we discipline our mind.
Many religions assert God’s control and move on with their life. They will even say
that God is holy, but they will never assert that we can also be holy. That is why
they wanted to kill Jesus.
Holiness is possible when we give Him our lives to rule and manage. We serve a
living Jesus Christ, and through Him, we can achieve holiness and the blessings that
flow because of it.
Let’s not only sing “Holy, Holy, Holy,” but act in ways that demonstrate our
holiness, given by God.
69
H is for
Hard
Thought for the day
Life is hard many times. Making decisions in which there seems
to be no “best” outcome for us. As we strive for Holiness, we
soon discover that without God’s help it is not only hard, but
impossible to achieve or experience the peace, power, and
confidence that comes with it.
70
Prayer
Dear God,
I’m finding life hard right now. There seems to be no “right”
answer to many of the decisions I have to make. Bring me to an
understanding of how my hard life can be Yours to handle for
me.
In Jesus name,
Amen
71
Read Ecclesiastes 9
H is for HARD because it is our Human nature and results in a lot of pain and
suffering.
Just like a callous, that builds up to protect the sore spots; we get HARD to protect
our hearts. We are fragile emotional humans and HOLINESS is all about our
humanness. Fulfillment is always ahead of us. We work HARD, and our hearts get
greedy from this continuous HARDNESS.
We have a HARD time seeing ourselves as weak people because we prefer to see
ourselves as strong. We want to have the power of God, just like Lucifer wanted to
in the beginning. “H” is also about our creation as humans in the image of God but
we have a flaw which limits our HOLINESS achievement.
Often in our lives, we have to make HARD decisions. Don’t want to admit it but
many decisions require a higher knowledge that we have. We find ourselves in a
sea of stress because of our view of God. A view which leads to doing things in our
strength. Correcting our view of God will take care of our callousness, but it takes
HARD decisions.
The cure for our callousness is quite simple and easy. Though many people find
Christianity hard to accept, the result of an active relationship with the King of
Kings is a life of peace, power, and confidence. Calluses may make the outer skin
less sensitive to the abrasion, but it does not take away the misalignment of what
is underneath. They are there only for protection.
Does this sound hard? Jesus said that if we give Him our life, He will give us this
peace. We want His peace on our terms. Wanting everything on our terms makes
having any relationship hard. We can feel like the king of the castle because we get
what we want but have only shallow relationships.
The real problem and what the Philistines found when they stole the Ark of the
Covenant. They conquered Israel and stole their power, only to discover that the
true God had more power than theirs. When life became hard for the leaders, they
returned the Ark to its rightful people.
The Pharisees also discovered that imposing rules that were not from God gave
personal satisfaction but not softness of character. The resulting lack of peace
made life HARD for the people.
72
The leaders always challenged Jesus thought that defining the Law of God was
about doing not inner obedience. The challenges continued with the same
rebuttal. Jesus wanted people to see that life in a relationship with Him was not
hard.
When our life is hard there is fear and insecurity. We lose our motivation to
achieve all we can be which is not what our life needs to be. With an interactive
relationship with Jesus Christ, we have direct access to God. The key word is
interactive because it is interactive we will discover Jesus “the Light” casts out fear.
The only way we can soften and remove the calluses we have does not mean it will
be painless, but one which will be full of peace in the storm of life changes. If you
take off your hard calluses without changing what is causing them, they will return.
Hardness is at times a good thing but when the softness of the Spirit is hidden
people cannot see the real you, or the real Jesus.
73
I is for
Inquisitive
Thought for the day

We are all inquisitive by nature. At times this curiosity gets us
into trouble, distracting us from what is important. We need to
be more inquisitive about the nature of God to experience His
power in our lives.
74
Prayer
Dear God,
I got so distracted and drawn away because of my
inquisitiveness. Guide me to a deeper experience with You
through this natural tendency.
In Jesus name,
Amen
75
Read 1 John 4
I am also for INQUISITIVE. The word inquisitive means eager for knowledge,
intellectually curious, or given to the inquiry. Inquisitive is not to be
confused with nosy.
An inquisitive person seeks information to learn more and to become a
better person. A nosy person seeks information for selfish and malicious
reasons.
Remember the story about Curious George, the monkey? He was so
curious about everything. Just like a child who’s learning everything about
his world. In scripture Paul writes to one of his churches, (paraphrase) “ I
can’t write you the real and whole truth because you are too immature to
understand or realize the path you are going on is wrong.” Most often we
find ourselves in this same situation. Our INQUISITIVEness draws us away
from our relationship with God.
INQUISITIVE is not always a bad thing. We are called to test the spirit of
new teachers and leaders in our Church and community. INQUISITIVE is also
to inquire about things. We need to inquire and test to see what is true.
There is a lot of gossip in the Church today. It ruins many good people and
the world around runs away from the Church. Ruined by this fear, love, and
freedom, or deeper feelings are difficult. By making an inquiry, we ask
people to open their heart to us, but are we mature enough to see the
truth? Have we bought into the plan of God so we can have insight and give
good counsel?
These last two questions are very important in understanding INQUISITIVE
and INSIGHT. God knows the whole truth while we know only the surface
truth. We need to be more INQUISITIVE about God and who He is as a
priority. Then we can see the world differently than the world around us.
Seeing the world through the eyes of God will give us deeper insight into
what is going on in the spiritual world around us.
76
John opens this chapter with an admonition to not believe every spirit. I can
remember when I came to Canada many people told me things that were
untrue. I was naive and vulnerable to following what people said. Having
Lived in a boarding school, we did the same for new children. It was fun
then, but not so fun when it happens to you.
When we read the Bible from Old to New, the problem persists. The
inquisitive nature we have draws us away from the truth. The promises
people offer end up with us feeling empty and the seller with power.
In the New Testament, many people followed Jesus because they wanted a
Messiah to free them from Roman rule. Still others like Simon, the sorcerer
wanted to buy the power because it would increase his power and business.
Don’t we do that too often? We change our thinking because we want to
increase our life’s fortune. We follow miracle workers because we want
some of it to rub off. Both John and Paul write about the problem of false
teachings in the church.
When I was young, what was meant by what was said was based on the
question. The same ploy that Satan used on Eve. What God said was what
He wanted to say? God knows the language well, and we should not be
confused with the message. Jesus encouraged questions, but when He told
His disciples something it was quite clear. Both the message and
consequences were clear. Our stress comes when we do not have a good
knowledge of the Word of God. We get confused because we listen, not to
God, but to our friends or those who play our weaker emotional desire
strings.
In our inquisitiveness we should challenge those who claim truth by lining it
up with the whole of scripture, affirming that Jesus is the Son of God. That
sounds simple, but because we are in a relationship, we must choose which
one is most important, God’s or our desires.
we must choose which one is most important, God’s or our desires.
77
I is for
Insight
Thought for the day

As we mature we gain insight that lacked when we were young.
We don’t always see clearer than before; we see the vastness in
better dimensions.
78
Prayer
Dear God,
I have gained insight into so many things from life experiences.
The more I gain, the more I don’t know. Help me to experience
Your power in my life so others may gain sight of You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
79
Read Philippians 1:3-18

We understand that God creates us. I don’t know about you, but if you have
ever made anything from scratch, you have an intimate relationship with it.
You know how it works and can fix it better and faster than anyone else.
This intimacy gives the maker INSIGHT into His creation that others may not
have. INSIGHT means literally to see inside. God knows us better than we
know ourselves.
Isn’t that great? We often think that God is unjust. God disciplines us
without just cause. After all, we are just sinners saved by grace. What a
poor argument!
God does not cause Injustices in the world because we cannot see into the
future or the inner motivation of other people. Remember we have a
choice, and God has a master plan for every person He has created. God has
also given us a free will to choose His plan over others.
I have met many people over the years who wanted to sell me Life
Insurance. Each would tell me that their plan was the better one. Today we
have to make the same choice. We choose Churches with the better plan,
program, or meets our needs the best. Do we ever think about God’s plan?
If He has INSIGHT into all of our secrets, our failures, and our fears won’t He
have the best plan?
The church in Philippi was one that Paul cherished a lot. The book is full of
positive encouragement. Paul desired that this church would have insight
into the purpose of his problems.
Paul faced a lot of opposition from within the Christian community. His
message of Christ crucified, and grace hurt a lot of the egos that are normal
in any leader. He writes that some preach Christ out of jealousy and others
to gain fame and fortune. (15,16)
We gain insight into how Paul sees his problems by reading the rest of the
verses. Paul was not in ministry for kudos and praise. Rather his insight into
the results of his imprisonment was that other weaker Christians became
bolder, that everyone knew of Jesus Christ as the Saviour in a global sense.
80
Often people will question why we make the decisions we do. We have a
choice in our response. One most common is to argue with the aggressor. If
hindsight gives us 20/20 vision, we can see how much energy we spend on
useless stress. It is not the motivation but that the gospel gets preached. At
other times we may be falsely accused or inferred. Can we say like Paul that
our end goal is God’s glory?
Perhaps not, but with God’s insight, we can see the truth when others try to
hide it. I am easy to read most of the time. I try to hide my intentions but
usually end up not responding when we discover the truth.
At other times I have had insight into decisions that I could never know if
God had not shown me through His Spirit. We don’t need to be on our
knees, but we do need to be in constant communication with our Lord to
gain insight. We don’t need to have the gift of prophecy to have insight. We
need to be in an active relationship, so we don’t have to talk about
hindsight so often.
Hindsight makes everything very clear, but the failure and stress we
experience don’t need to be there. As humans, we look back to discover the
truth. With insight, we look at truth as it comes to us. It is a supernatural
knowledge that we gain from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
When Jesus spoke to Judas, at the Last Supper, this happened. In hindsight,
the disciples knew Judas was a thief and betrayer, but Jesus insight
encouraged him to do it and not hide anymore.
Let’s stay focused as Apostle Paul did on the things that are important, that
Jesus Christ is preached and heard. Pray that we will have insight into the
spiritual battle around us. The battle to distract us from what God has called
us to and a lack of boldness to preach the truth.
When we view our challenges through the lenses of the Holy Spirit our
insight will give us the boldness to speak the message He has given us to
speak.
Insight will give us the boldness to speak the message He has given us to
speak.
81
J is for
Jesus
Thought for the day

Jesus is more than a buddy or a friend. He is Lord f Lords and
King of Kings. Just because He did not exercise His power did not
make Him less powerful.
82
Prayer
Dear God,
I often hear your name used in vain. How much power there is in
your name when we speak it. Empower me to use it wisely for
Your glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen
83
Read Hebrews 9: 11 – 28
Many want to be Jesus and have the power He had. In fact, the Bible says
we should model our lives after Him. It is so easy to be at the center of
attention everywhere you go when you can do miracles when you want.
These ideals are an illusion. Just ask the many movie and music stars. It is
hard to have any privacy to do or say what you want without the cameras
popping up everywhere. People follow you because they think having all the
attention is something to desire. Many try to emulate their hero through
style and attitude, even looking the same to get personal fulfillment. We
find the same heroes demonstrating how empty their lives are.
Many followed and performed even gaining a star of fame but never giving
life to anyone outside of themselves. Often mired in greed and power the
charisma of a few provide the rush of excitement and energy that
popularity gives, only to have the life sucked from the inside out.
To be like Jesus means that our desires are based on a slave to the master
relationship, not on the power or demonstration of it. We must have a
relationship entirely focussed on doing what He wants. To give up all my
desire for His is so opposite of what our culture teaches us is right.
From the Old Testament, when kings and pharaohs surrounded themselves
with wise men, prophets, and magicians to the New Testament where it
became a business. We forget that Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
He fools us into this false sense of satisfaction, a sense that is short lived
and empty. We perform to feed our ego and increase our value versus one
with Jesus which is not driven by self-satisfaction but the worship of the
Master. That is the secret of Jesus life and power.
For some, it is a matter of being friendly users, and for others user-friendly,
but Jesus was neither. Jesus never let people use Him, and He never used
people. He was upfront with His purpose and His motives. His sole purpose
was to show the world the right road to true peace, power, and confidence.
It all starts with a relationship with Jesus through accepting the blood He
shed on the cross. There is no merit in what we do if we ignore this first
step. Blood in scripture is a key motif and linked to every person in
relationship with their god/ God.
84
Blood is not a popular topic and often ignored in our conversations because
of the many directions we can go. Without this, there is no access to the
power that Jesus had. In the Old Testament, it was the key to both life and
freedom. Freedom, because without it Israel would remain in Egypt having
suffered the death of their firstborn. Life, because when you experience the
peace that passes understanding, there is nothing you want more.
Jesus’ blood cleanses us allowing the power of God to flow freely. The free
flow of power enables us to be free from the desire to perform for the sake
of empty selfishness. The foundation of this confidence is a peace that
passes all normal understanding.
Without the acceptance of Jesus’ blood, there are only good works. Good
works that take our energy resulting in burnout and depression. The need
for praise will always be there. Driven by short-term good works, without
the blood of Christ our needs will not be met. The blood of Christ is a never-
ending stream of energy driving us to change from the inside out.
85
J is for
Judas
Thought for the day

Traitors we are when we deny the truth. No amount of money
will take away the guilt that comes from denial.
86
Prayer
Dear God,
I have often denied our relationship to save face. You, on the
other hand, have given all for mine. Empower me to stand for
truth, so the guilt does not hinder your power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
87
Read 2 Timothy 1: 3 – 17
Judas was a con man. He was in this relationship and access to the bag of
Judas was a con man. He was in this relationship and access to the bag of money
which gave him a sense of power. As part of the inner circle of friends, He was
close to a great man. He was not committed to the cause or the person, but only
the money is making him the ultimate traitor.
He did not betray Jesus. He betrayed himself. What he thought he had gained he
lost. He had gained some money but lost what he had cherished the most, the
respect and integrity of those around him. He gained in the sight of man but
rejected by God.
Today we are faced with the same questions. Are we in this, our Christian life, for
the money or the fame? The answer seems easy but is it the truth?
Many want to be like Jesus and end up like Judas. We want to be close, but we
don’t want to commit to the cause fully. We do all the things we should, just like
Judas, waiting for the moment when we can profit from it. Profit may not be
regarding money but in moving our position forward.
Many people do things in the name of religion. Religions demand commitment and
adherence to a set of rules to grow the denomination or philosophy or the leader.
Leaders use their people to promote themselves and their cause. The result is
death and destruction both personally and as a community.
Christians usually don’t like these demanding committed people. That is because
the true Jesus never coerced or demanded from His followers. He just promised
that they could have the same power, peace, and confidence if they copied His
attitudes to the world around them. This view of life focused on relationships
which lifted up and resulted in the glory of His Father same way. Because He is the
Creator of ALL things, He gave each a freedom of choice. The choices we make give
us either life through Jesus or death like Judas.
Betrayal is something that happens to most of us at one time or another. From

Adam and Eve to great leaders like Joshua and David, people we have trusted tell
our secrets and betray our trust. Many times the information they give out is
distorted ending in misinformation and hurtful reactions.
What happens when we are the betrayer? We gain, for a moment, the focus of
another who is interested in wrong information. We risk the same person
betraying our trust losing our depth of relationships we desire.
88
Our response to betrayal is often in our thoughts, and sometimes words, of anger
and revenge. We outwardly forgive the person, but the trust we have is gone.
Most of us would not do what Judas did, but in essence, if we are the betrayer, the
loss of trust empties the hopes we had for moving forward in our life.
It is different from Jesus Christ. He has not interested in gossip because He already
knows everything. At the same time, He will never betray us because there is no
benefit for Him. His only focus is on moving us into a deeper understanding of our
relationship with Him.
Timothy writes that I can trust Him, Jesus Christ, with everything until He returns
as Judge. We may betray our relationship with Jesus to save our job or other
relationship. We may be betrayed by those in authority or whom we have trusted
our deepest thoughts.
Jesus faced both situations and still kept His focus on his Father, God. He was not
interested in anything other than the glory of His Father. We can protect ourselves
by focusing on the same things. There are many Judas’s out there, ready to betray
for a bit of power or recognition. Don’t lose your focus on what is real and
important in your life.
89
K is for
King
Thought for the day

To choose who is king of our lives is to determine the future of
our eternity, our hope, and our security.
90
Prayer
Dear God,
How often I have pledged to make you king, only to keep myself
as the ruler. As I move forward, empower me to keep my
promises as you have in spite of my failures.
In Jesus name,
Amen
91
Read Matthew 28:1 – 20

Royalty is understandably a position of a person or family with control over a
limited area and people. When we think of Jesus as King, we can understand how
the people of His day couldn’t understand that He could be King.
Though we speak of Jesus as King, we often do not act as if He is. Watching the
Queen of England walk through the streets shows her power of position. The
protocol of the position demands specific ways of doing things.
The “Prince and the Pauper” story is a good example of what Jesus did. The
difference being is that being in the position of a common man. He never gave up
His ability to exercise authority when needed. A key element in how we should
understand Jesus life on earth.
Jesus never relinquished His position or right to the kingdom which is why he can
say that He gives His disciples all authority. He sent us out as a king would his
servants. If we read the gospels, we discover the metaphors Jesus used in the
gospels linked himself to who He was but not understood by the people.
Several kings of late have been noted to consider abdicating the throne. The role
of the king has become more symbolic of power than real power. Royalty is more a
tax burden than a respected leadership role.
What would we do without a king or royal family? As kingdoms have shifted power
between people groups and languages, when there is no supreme person power
becomes focused on other things. In the Old Testament Israel was designed not to
have a king. They had a priesthood which charged with bringing the people to the
KING of KINGS for worship.
God eventually gave them a king, like other nations, in response to their cry and
prayers. Now they have Prime Ministers but no king. They are still special as a
nation and God continues to fulfill the promise He gave to Abraham.
A king is also a male figure, which may seem a bit biased and chauvinistic. There is
no queen in the biblical Trinity. That doesn’t mean females are less or more
powerful. God created each in His image and character.
Kings are about power, and this is the key to our spiritual power. When Jesus told
His disciples they had the power; it was not because they were kings but servants.
They had no power of their own to enforce anything. They were just the
pronouncers of truth.
92
The Pharisees and Sadducees couldn’t understand their position as leaders to the
king. They preferred to take on the role of the king in their culture. Their power to
enforce their laws was unrestricted in some ways. At the same time, the
overlooked, but true King and the people have left a life of power.
If we choose to see Jesus as the Son of God, a normal son, he would be limited to
things physical. He would be the great illusionist. As the Son of God the greatest
and most powerful King of Kings, He has the same power available to Him.
The key to Jesus teaching is the recognition of who and what He is. He is not just a
powerful person we go to when we are in trouble. He is the KING and controls
everything in His kingdom. That is not just Christians but the whole of creation.
From our bad boss to the blessings we receive the KING is in control. He knows
everything before it happens and allows us the freedom to choose our path.
We cannot blame the king for our decisions. We can, however, choose to go as
heralds of good news knowing there is nothing that will harm us when we are
under His care. We need to give Him recognition in everything we do. He demands
the glory in exchange for our power and blessings.
93
K is for
Kin
Thought for the day

The family is important for our health. Our families do not always
support or recognize the true God. He has given us a new family
to draw strength from in times of stress.
94
Prayer
Dear God,
I have gone away from family because they stress me. Enable me
to find a family who will bring me to a mature relationship with
you.
In Jesus name,
Amen
95
Read Mark 3:20- 35
K is for Kin which we are as part of the true Church. Kinship is a key factor in a
Christian’s strength. It is also a key to understanding the struggles we have with
each other.
If you think of the stress, you get when you get together with your relatives you
can understand this concept well. It all starts with Jesus Christ being the Son of
God. When we become Christians, we have married into the family of God
automatically.
It is as the Apostle Paul says an “adoption” into the family. Now we have a family
made of physical people. We don’t always agree with them, and we don’t leave
them. When we are adopted, we also don’t change our allegiances. We have
preferences and relationships we hold when we are adopted, comparing what we
had with where we are.
When our Christian life is not exciting, we want to go back to our previous family.
That is quite normal because new rules disturb our routine and expectations.
When what we expect does not meet our expectations, we want to give up and
run away.
Now imagine that you can also be in the same royal family. We called that kinship.
When we are kin, we have equal rights in the family. To be kin Jews had to be
circumcised. They showed they were different from those outside. Today, being a
member of a church makes us kin, but not a part of the kinship with Christ.
We think by doing things different from the world around us we show our kinship,
similar to the circumcision of the Jews. The act of circumcision falls short of the
responsibility of kinship. As a part of the royal family what we do affects not only
our family and our social group but the world. Think for a moment about the
British Royal Family. Everything they do is in the news, yet your neighbor is never
on the news unless he/she does something very heroic.
Being kin is a higher calling than being the neighbor next door. We are called to be
more mature because we have the power of the King of Kings available to us. The
question then is, “Why is there so little power in the Christian community?” Is it
because we do not view ourselves as kin, or is it that we do not view God as the
King of our family? Do we treat our God as a normal person, always being
challenged by others, or is He the true King of ALL Kings?
96
What Jesus told His disciples was not just a suggestion, but a command. Go! You
have all the tools and power that you have seen and more. What happens if we fall
into the “Jesus is a loving God, so we don’t have to worry,” trap in our minds.
Though this is true Jesus wants us to utilize the power that He has offered.
We become complacent versus challenging what Jesus said. We have a notion that
being kin is enough. It is the reason many Christians are depressed and lackluster.
They use their kinship as a backup plan to failure. Jesus is who we blame when our
lives turn the wrong way. It is always God’s fault because He is ALL-Powerful.
Imagine for a moment that you asked first and stretched into the risk area a little
farther though God can intervene at any time. When this intervention happened,
you would be energized to continue and do try it again.
There are children of very rich parents who are not given a lot of money by their
parents. They may not even have a lot fo the inheritance because of the charities it
is already committed. They move out and make their own money choosing right
relationships and following the rules. People overlook the fact they made their
own money when they are successful.
They become rich because they had confidence in their parent's commitment to
their success. At times failure was around the corner, and there was no bailout.
Our relationship with God is similar to this. We have all the power Jesus
demonstrated. There was no failure, but there was always glory given to His
Father.
Though we have the same power, we often don’t give the glory to the Father. The
glory is the afterthought. Jesus demonstrated this with every miracle. He never
took the glory and preferred to escape than be the focus.
When we have a right view of king and kin, we will find ourselves challenged to
change. The change means that we give up our right to glory for the power.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for sinners like us. We want the power of the King
and the inheritance, but hate to give up the glory. It is a conundrum of sorts, but
when it happens, the power will enable you to live life to its fullest.
97
L is for
Lamb
Thought for the day

Goats have so much fun! To be a lamb seems boring and dull.
Following when you’re a leader doesn’t mean you’re not. It just
means you are not the ruler.
98
Prayer
Dear God,
I don’t like following very much. I could make my life easier if I
learned to follow your simple, clear rules. Enable me to realize
your promises through following.
In Jesus name,
Amen
99
Read John 1: 29 - 42
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called
Cephas.” Cephas means Peter or Rock. L is for Lamb which led to the slaughter.
John the Baptist was the first to acknowledge who Jesus was. Jesus had
demonstrated skills but had not shown His true self through miracles before this.
Most people saw Jesus as a super smart person.
We find many people have the same idea of Christ. He is just another super guy. A
person who performed miracles or demonstrated supernatural power but not
equal to God.
The Holy Spirit revealed the truth of who Jesus was to John. He always saw himself
as a forerunner and now confronted with the task of baptizing his Lord.
The other instances of use were at Easter when this Lamb was crucified. Having
given up His right to his own opinion and direction, He was like a “lamb led to the
slaughter.” Lamb is a common theological theme. This idea of Jesus being helpless
when He is God can give us a lot of stress. Since good theology points must be
found in all parts of the Bible, and not just one part, we must look at the Old
Testament.
In the Old Testament, we find that the lamb was the preferred sacrifice but not
just any lamb. It was the first born having no spot or problem, both inward and
outward. This purity was essential for the sacrifice to be accepted by the God Israel
worshipped.
The idea of lamb in the Old Testament sacrifice implies that blood was important
for forgiveness and salvation. Therefore, the idea of lamb was not just a cuddly
warm fuzzy feeling but a commitment.
Lamb implies an innocence or purity. If you remember the first acts of creation
recorded in the Bible, Adam and Eve, who were created pure, were innocent of sin.
The idea of an innocent animal sacrificed makes God look like an ogre, but we
must remember God is pure. He cannot even venture to look at something that is
not pure. God had to punish sin or make way for sin to be absolved to be more
active in the lives of His creation.
Blood was the way He chose to affect this outcome. A demonstration of the
power of this blood was when Israel escaped from Egypt. The blood, in essence,
made the house “sin” free, therefore being protected from the Angel of Death.
Lamb, Blood, and Protection from death are all themes that go together and are
inseparable.
100
Death is not something we like to think about; neither is blood. To free ourselves
from the grip of death we must have an acceptable sacrifice, the blood of the
lamb.
Jesus is the Lamb, and it is His blood that saves us from Eternal death. That is
simple. Jesus NEVER sinned, and His BLOOD protects us from death. You do not
need a lamb today for a sacrifice. Jesus was the Lamb. He died for your sin. It was
His life which we need to embrace and accept as the sacrifice.
Choose today to accept this sacrifice. Choose today to be protected from the Angel
of Death and have Eternal life. In Revelation, those who have the mark of God
salvation was offered. That mark only comes from acceptance of the sacrifice. This
mark shows, not only acceptance but a relinquishment of our desire for glory to
access the power to impact the world around us.
101
L is for
Light
Thought for the day

My light is often narrow and dim. I keep seeking ways to make
my resources give me ore light.
102
Prayer
Dear God,
I’m scared of your light Lord. It will show all my secrets and then
what will I do. Thank you for not remembering my sin forever.
In Jesus name,
Amen
103
Read Isaiah 42: 1-17
Light is something we like to have when we want to read or find something.

It is harder to find things without light. Jesus said He is the light of the
world. In Isaiah, we find what this “light” is all about.
Jesus was chosen to bring light to a dark, hopeless people. Our light can be
dimmed many times by tiredness, fear, and stress. We can see shadows
when there aren’t any. If this hasn’t happened to you, it has been part of
my experience.
There are two or three ideas about light we want to consider. A light in a
storm protects against imminent danger. The old lighthouses needed to be
cared for by a person all the time. The light was combined with a sound
because you couldn’t always see it. The storm was too dark or strong, but
most never destroyed the light like it did the ships that ignored it.
Light along a path is always nice when you can’t see the dangers. The light
we carry may be strong, but we must choose a fine pointed power or a
broader shorter focused light. At times we only have one, and the battery is
weak or dead. The light we chose to put in our pack for security had
become useless.
The third idea of light comes from our experience with God. Imagine for a
moment that you lived in the Garden of Eden: A perfect world that didn’t
need extra light. Then sin happened, and the need for light was there. The
light that was there, but never an issue, exposed the truth of humanity.
It is this light that Isaiah is referring to. It is this exposure to every secret we
have to the all-knowing God that causes us the problem. The fear of
exposure of every motive to another raises the problem of punishment.
When our hidden secrets are exposed we work hard to find excuses or
reasons that would put a positive spin on them. We would prefer to put a
shade on the light, so it does not affect our sensitive spirituality. Or, we buy
a dimmer switch so we can relax and enjoy the ambiance of soft light.
God’s light is never a soft ambient light. It is not supposed to be soft. It is
designed for total exposure; cleansing leaves no shadow and a foundation
104
Can begin. The most dangerous light is the UV light that can burn us when
we can’t see it. UV light is also used to cleanse food for our benefit.
Lasers are light beams and have been demonstrated to cut through the
toughest material or destroy items from a distance. It used on our eyes the
damage can be permanent.
When we consider that Jesus is the Light, we must consider the power it
carries. We cannot control it, but the Holy Spirit can. Its only purpose is to
cleanse our lives so we can be the lighthouse to the world around us.
The world doesn’t need light until it acknowledges there is darkness.
105
M is for
Memory
Thought for the day

Memory does not age if you keep it active. Memories are the
best learning tools for moving forward in life.
106
Prayer
Dear God,
I have many memories of past hurts that I should give up. I need
to focus on what you have done to make my path easier.
In Jesus name,
Amen
107
Read 1 Peter 1:3-16
If we have a mind, we have a memory. Imagine a computer without

a memory. It used to be that way almost, but you always needed a memory,
at least a small one.
M is for memories, even the ones we want to forget. We never seem to
forget them even if we want to. They just get covered with other things, like
stuff in our storage room. The difference with God is that He eliminates
His memory after we confess it to Him. He said the memory was as far as
the East is from the West. It will never haunt Him, and He will never
remember or hold us in the memory as we do.
Memories are important. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians tells us to protect
our mind because it holds our memories. The memories we choose to hold
in our mind are also the ones that cause us to react or withdraw. If we put
them to the side and cover them, they will come back and haunt us. If they
are memories that we give to God, He can cover them with His blood. Can
we be sure that anything that will harm us from them will never bother us
again?
Of course not! Our memories are like scars. When you have a scar, the
memory of what caused it is important. Some of them are stories we tell
our children, while others we choose to hide and not enter the hurt that is
still fresh.
I have many stories which come from childhood memories. Not all are fun
to tell, but there is a right time to tell them. The second question is if we fill
our mind with good things the bad memories go away. The truth is it covers
them, and the hurt will rise. That is why many people work so hard to do
good things. They stay away from those places and situations that stimulate
the bad memories.
Memories which cause us pain need to healing, and that is done only
through a relationship with Christ. We use many strategies to heal old
memories. We can talk about them a lot to numb our reaction. Some
people try to do things for others to demonstrate their remorse.
108
What we need is true forgiveness and a realization that there is nothing we

can do to heal them ourselves. Since we are good repeating actions, we
need to set speed bumps to remind us to slow down and make better
decisions. Most of all we need to focus on the glory of Jesus Christ to
discover that pieces of our memories disappear and we can remember
them through His eyes.
There are no mindless memories. Memories fill our mind, and it is what we
fill our mind with that pushes out the bad memories. They are still there,
but their power diminishes. Covering them is never a good option. Dealing
with them, and the fear and negative feelings towards others takes a lot of
energy. On the other hand, praising and worshiping God energizes us.
Our memories need to be in tune with the mind of God. When we have
the mind of God, we see the world differently. If we take control of
our memories, we find ourselves cherishing the ones that focus on a right
view of God versus the stress of finding they are never far from bothering
us.
I know we all need stress in our lives. Peter writes that we have a new life in
Christ. The new life which comes from the salvation He offers through faith.
Our struggles do create memories, but we need to 13 be watchful, and
control yourselves completely. In this way, put your hope in the grace that
lies ahead. This grace will be brought to you when Jesus Christ returns.
What do we allow into our minds? The Apostle Paul writes that we should
protect our head with the helmet of salvation, but what good is a helmet
without any other armor? Ask any sportsperson who needs a helmet for
protection. They need more than a helmet.
So many Christians think salvation is enough for the fight we face. We must
focus, as Peter writes, on the future and hope we have as Christians after
salvation.
109
M is for
Mind
Thought for the day

At times our mind plays tricks on us. What we focus our mind on
will determine our stress level in life.
110
Prayer
Dear God,
My mind gets so tired I want to withdraw. I need to remain
focused on you, your blessing, and your empowerment.
Empower me to keep my mind on the positive not the negative.
In Jesus name,
Amen
111
Read 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16
M is also for a man whom God made in His image. That means that God
made a man with a mind. What good would a God without a mind be? Silly
question, but it is something that we never think too seriously. If we have a
mind, then we have a memory.
A computer’s memory needs to have input from outside if itself. Even the AI
computers need to have an original program to make it work.
The mind is such a complex organ and holds the central control for our
body. There is no action without it, but you can still live for a while even if
your brain is dead. The mind can also be separated into pieces so we can fix
it.
We do that with God sometimes. We pray for the mind of God and put our
thinking into it. Our mind is so small that though it may seem impossible,
we see what we call the mind of God.
Our limited capacity is like a computer. Imagine some of the most powerful
computers. No one can hold all the information in the world, but there is
one God who holds all the information, past and present. In theology, there
is some talk about “second” Adams and “Christs,” even a “third Adam.” Do
not believe these people because there is only one God, who is Christ, and
Holy Spirit. To separate these three is to separate the mind of God into
three denying the idea of one God and will lead us to the wrong idea of who
God is.
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of the mind when he wrote
about the Christian warrior. Paul writes in Philippians, “Let this mind be in
you that is in Christ Jesus.” Guard our minds is another idea that we find
throughout scripture.
Being the control center feeding itself through our senses, and protecting
what is important and goes into the mind. When we see, hear, feel, smell
something it affects our mind. If we have constant input without too much
reaction, our mind gets dull. There is no implication that our mind or life is
dull, but that the mind will not react and we will allow things in that we
wouldn’t have in the beginning.
112
Deuteronomy 6 lists the principles we should have as His chosen people.

Love the Lord with all your mind is one of them. In today’s world, focusing
on one thing for any length of time is an increasing issue. People can hardly
have an extended conversation on one topic.
I was in a coffee shop not long ago when two ladies sat at the table next to
me. They had a short conversation, about 10 minutes, and then focused on
their phones for the next 30. They left awhile later after having another 5-
minute chat.
Our Christian life needs a focused mind. A mind strong enough to limit what
enters it. The control of the mind comes from our desires. Just like we
choose what to eat most of the time we follow our desires and make
decisions based on them.
We can choose healthy or not healthy food. We can choose to follow our
friends or be leaders to righteousness. We cannot blame, though we try to,
anybody but ourselves for our stress and problems. We made choices based
on short-term solutions and information, though we have a God who
promised to give us insight into right choices.
Our mind is a powerful organ that we have not tapped. When we stay
focused on worship, we begin to unleash that power. We open our mind to
the power of what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew.
Jesus told His disciples that they would do the same and more miracles than
they had seen Him perform. It is only by unleashing this power that we can
do what Jesus sent His disciples to do.
113
N is for
New
Thought for the day

We enjoy new things. At times we hang on to old ideas, clothes,
even broken things because of the memories. We need new
experiences to reset old negative ones.
114
Prayer
Dear God,
You have given me new life. At times it seems it is worse than
what I had before. Enable me to experience you in new ways
every day.
In Jesus name,
Amen
115
Read Colossians 3:1-16
Have you ever wanted a new life? Many people struggle day to day even
minute to minute because of money or lack of things which has been an
issue from the beginning of Creation. Satan enticed Eve with the desire to
have a more exciting life.
As Christians, we claim to offer a new life to those who will respond. But,
what does this mean? It should mean better than what we have now. The
problem is that this new life is just a heavier burden than before. So where
is the new life? Is it just a new set of rules for living?
For many people, this is just what it is. They hang on to the new ideas. They
are new, so they are trying to fit into this new culture we often call Church.
What Christ taught his disciples was that He did not want them to have
a new set of rules to be more accepted. If we could achieve a set of rules,
we could or would become proud. Then we would have broken the rule.
The Apostle Paul writes a lot about the new life. In the verses above, Paul
writes that we should change our whole focus of thinking. Paul writes about
the choice of masters in Romans. This same challenge was given by Joshua
to choose whom the people would serve, the True God or the idols of the
nations around.
New life means much more than a set of rules. It is a new reason to live. It
sees the world around us with new eyes. It sees what we have, our job,
family, future, in a new light. It has new hope and energy to see everything
good or bad from the philosophy and idea that God has made it from
design.
The effect of this new thinking should affect how we speak. How and what
we speak is an important test for those who attest have begun a new life.
Many years ago, in the 60’s a new set of words was adopted to make the
common swear words more compatible with the church.
We search for more all the time and never experience the new life as God
intended. Christ told His disciples to rest in Him. When we experience
our new life, we need to learn one basic thing.
116
That is to rest under the control of God. The hardest to do because we feel
insecure when we are not in control.
What will happen if we make the decision not to have this new life? It
results in the sense of happiness and fulfillment for a time. That is why so
many people decide after a serious accident or life and death moment.
There is a lot of fear today because we do not know the future. For many
people, it looks so black like a dim flashlight. We are insecure because we
cannot see around us. We do not need to be scared of the night. There is no
need to fear because if we have chosen the new life, we also have all the
angels of heaven at our side.
Jesus said that He would be beside us all the time. When we choose to rest
in His power, we have confidence when others run away. We have peace
when others have insecurity. We have a light which lights up the way, so we
do not need to stumble. The new life offered, is a life that eliminates the
darkness around us.
What is your choice today? Will it be to obey a different set of rules only or
to have a new life in Christ? Will it be to search for the next high because
we are scared of the night?
Choose life in Christ today and start resting in His security, peace, and
confidence.
117
N is for
Night
Thought for the day

Night can be so dark and insecure. Dark is when we love to have
the most fun.
118
Prayer
Dear God,
If it were not for your light my life would be full of darkness. I
know I can be confident in the darkest valley because you are
with me, even though I may not see you.
Jesus name,
Amen
119
The night is the time when many negative things happen. Not all bad things
happen during the night hours, but many people do bad things because
they think their actions will not be discovered. In today’s world, the night is
not a lot different than the day. We have the technology to see in the dark.
Still, when night approaches, we often feel insecure and alone.
Many people think of night or darkness as a punishment from God. When a
tragedy happens in our lives, people feel guilty because they had said or
done something. Feelings of guilt happen when you leave the house in the
morning after fighting with a friend or family member. If there is a tragedy,
the reflection can make people severely depressed as the night of guilt
surrounds their minds.
Jeremiah had the same challenge from the people he was called to
represent. Israel was having a hard time as a nation, being in captivity too
often. They had not done anything wrong, yet God seemed to be against
them.
Have you ever thought that God was against you? I have, many times
because I was doing my best to be obedient but moving forward in life
seemed hopeless.
In the New Testament, we have a different view of God: A more personal
relationship view versus the nationalistic Old Testament. Still, the ideas are
the same. God has not changed His promises.
In these verses, we find that the people had developed habits that were not
in obedience to the Law God had set for them. They complained that they
had not sinned, by their standards of understanding, so God should not
punish them. They had accepted their culture’s norm as what God wanted.
God’s response through Jeremiah was that their parents had rejected the
truth long ago and they had done even worse evil. God was not bringing the
night to them because of their parents, but because the new generation
had chosen to continue down the same path.
120
When we read these verses, we find that what we do affects our future
generations. We don’t often think about that because we are so
individualistically focused. When we are in the dark of night, we can only
hope for the morning.
Jeremiah had a message for this generation of Israel. You will go into
captivity, but I will bring you back. The generation had made the land of the
Lord contaminated. He promised that the people would return. He
promised to teach the new generation about who He was.
The night was only a limited time of darkness. This darkness was to be to an
extreme so the people would lose their way. The light was able to penetrate
it very far.
Our generation has followed the same path. We have accepted a normal
function of Christianity or religious talk and action without deepening our
relationship with Jesus Christ. Though God does not deal with us as a
nation, the health or prosperity of our nation is set by our spiritual attitudes
and actions. The people thought their norm was pleasing to God because of
their prosperity, only to have it turn to a darker night.
For Israel, the night was a loss of freedom. The night was for a generation
after which God would the change would come from a revival of a
relationship with His people.
Maybe you have found yourself asking the same question as Israel. You live
your life accepting the norm of the culture. You have found good excuses
for doing what you do, and yet you don’t feel blessed by God. The night in
your life seems to be getting darker.
Don’t get into a guilt trip. Rather take some time to renew your relationship
with Jesus Christ. Surrender again to His Lordship. The day will come with
bright Sonshine. The night never lasts forever, and the Light of scripture is
always available as we pass through.
121
O is for
Open
Thought for the day

To leave your mind open is to invite a thief into your house.
Open doors to people who have only godly intentions.
122
Prayer
Dear God,
Too often my mind has been open to others ideas. I have not
been careful to keep it locked and focused on your teaching. May
I be open to your Holy Spirit more often and not others ideas.
In Jesus name,
Amen
123
Read Acts 26: 1 - 18
’If only the world would open their eyes to see the truth was and is the cry
of Christ from the beginning to the end of Revelation. Jesus has so much to
offer. Think of the peace we could have if greed and selfishness was not a
part of our lives. A utopian idea I know, but that is why OPEN is so
important.
There is a lot of criticism about religion being anti-homosexuality and other
perversions of truth. The fight for acceptance balanced with truth digs deep
into the culture and personal grievances. The honest truth is that we fight
for our truth, not Christ’s truth.
To be open-minded is what Christ demonstrated to us. He was not partial
to any person. He did not deny a relationship to even the worst. He even
had Judas, a thief, as a disciple. He did this because he knew the struggle we
all have to give up our desire for His. Even knowing that He did not deny the
relationship of Judas, knowing that he would betray the cause for a few
pieces of silver.
To be of an open mind does not mean that we give up our principles to
compromise with another. That would be foolish because then we would
weaken those pillars of strength that we have. Rather we need to consider
the open mind to associate with those who may differ.
In the idea of openness, we find the Old Testament a hard book. It seems
so arbitrary and demanding. It comes from a God who cannot, even for a
moment, consider anything that is impure. But we are made in the image of
God. Therefore we must be accepting of all every person’s ideals which is
wrong thinking. Nowhere in the Bible is there a compromise in this one key
area. That is to get to heaven or experience a continuing relationship with
Him. There is never a compromise in the promise of peace and happiness is
we let God reign in our lives.
The Apostle Paul had this experience with Jesus. As we read scripture, Paul
was doing the job he thought was right, only to find it was so wrong. He
persecuted Christians because he was not open to any truth except that
which the Pharisees had told him.
124
The experience with Jesus Christ was life-changing. His purpose was to open
the eyes, ears, and minds of those who opposed Jesus Christ. Of course, he
couldn’t do it himself. All the preaching in the world could not change the
minds. It is only with the power of the Holy Spirit that this is possible.
Our culture wants Christians to be more open-minded. The view that all
ways can achieve heaven is not a truth. That is why so many “Christians” are
underachievers in their spiritual life. They are open to the world’s advice,
and the voice of the Holy Spirit gets pushed to the back.
At times Jesus wants to answer our prayer, but He can’t because we are not
open to His advice. God has a purpose and message for each of us. The
problem is we are not open to Him because of other voices which drown it
out.
The question for us today is then, “Why do we prefer to compromise the
truth?”
125
O is for
Other
Thought for the day

Others will suck us in if we have no foundation to challenge
them. Build a foundation first then seek others before you
change.
126
Prayer
Dear God,
Who do I need other than you, Lord? You have given me others
to engage me in a deeper relationship with you.
In Jesus name,
Amen
127
Read Proverbs 8
O is also for other choices. We can be open-minded, and we can make

wrong choices.
We can follow those others who deny the truth of Christ, preferring to
pursue our own goals driven by a desire for acceptance or greed.
When we read this chapter in Proverbs, we discover that wisdom and
understanding are crying out. They go hand in hand wanting people to
listen, but childish most of the time.
We prefer silver and gold over wisdom and understanding. Individuality and
a skewed idea of success are the drivers of our culture. Success is defined by
how much we have or how big what we have is.
In our discussion in being open-minded, we found that we opened our
minds to others because we don’t trust the scripture or the God who chose
us.
We would all like to have miracles happen to us. Some of us would even like
to be the miracle-maker. To achieve this, we look to other philosophies and
solutions.
Recently there was a story in the media about a pastor in Africa is one of
these miracle makers. His church is exploding because of this perceived
power. To challenge him will get you into trouble because who would want
miracles to stop?
As this person expands his wealth, he continues to use the name of Jesus.
Scripture says that it is the name of Jesus that we receive the power. No
other name can do this.
What we don’t understand when we speak the name of Jesus so easily. If
we were to speak another’s name, we might get negative feedback. With
the name of Jesus, the power flows because of His promise to the disciples.
Why do we turn to others for wisdom and understanding when we have the
owner of wisdom and understanding on speed dial?
128
We do this because we don’t trust our relationship. Reading scripture and

putting other ideas out of our mind may mean we put our understanding on
hold. We feel insecure, and perhaps a fear of our image will be tarnished.
Our security is not in ourselves but others approval of what we do. I used to
follow the advice of people, which is okay in itself. The problem is that
when we follow more than one, there is often a conflict. This conflict
creates stress and confusion.
Getting advice from others is great because we all need feedback. What we
need to do is measure the advice with scriptural principles or our active
relationship with Jesus Christ.
Active is the key here. Often our relationship with Jesus Christ is just one
other relationship. Our mission and call are to reach out to others, in spite
of their views. When we have an active spiritual relationship, there is no
other power which can harm you.
We do not need to fear others because our God is above all. We can deny
the views of others and deny them a relationship which God so wants, so
they too can have the Eternal Life and peace He has promised.
People with diseases, alternate sexual lifestyles, criminals, drug abusers,
and more silent ones have been ignored. We want to compromise the
principles and trust to build our kingdom.
They too need Jesus, and we are all sinners and unable to achieve the level
of dedication to achieve the Promise, but, the Law of God never changes.
The rules of the game never change.
129
P is for
Perfect
Thought for the day

Perfect is what we all want. When we realize that imperfection is
not all bad, we will discover peace and power.
130
Prayer
Dear God,
I can only be perfect for acceptance of your sacrifice. Thank you
for your blood that makes me perfect in the sight of God.
Perfection opens the doors of so many blessings.
In Jesus name,
Amen
131
Read Isaiah 25: 1 - 12
God is perfect is a simple theological statement of most, if not all, religious

people. Many people want to be perfect. They are tired of the life they are
living, and perfection is the answer to their future hope. Many Christians
work hard to achieve perfection. They deny themselves pleasures so they
can say they obeyed every rule God has set out.
The problem is that all the work and dedication in the world will not get us
any closer to this goal of perfection. However, there is a way out if we want
to communicate with God as children do their father. We need to be
perfect because God is perfect and God cannot tolerate or communicate
directly with anything that is not perfect. That is why Jesus had to come and
die. It is Jesus’ blood that allows us to communicate with God.
Perfection is, therefore, something that we can desire to have but not
achieve. That is important because if we achieve it, we have worked for it. If
we can have it as a gift, it is free with only one prerequisite. That one
requirement is the key to enjoying all the benefits of our perfection. To
have the power that this perfection gives us is costly. It demands that we
realign our thinking to God’s way of thinking. We must give control of
everything in our lives to God. That is the price of this perfection.
This cost is also the most precious of perfection. Imagine a perfect Father
taking care of His children: A caring Father, who has all power and
knowledge. To have this perfection is to put your life into a person who has
only your desires at heart. He is the Person who will empower you to
achieve the most and best that you can be.
Can there be anything more exciting than being under the control of
someone who sees us perfectly? Perfection is empowering, and that is what
we want. We want the power and the passion to live life to its fullest. We
want to feel like we are important to someone. We want to relax and have
less stress.
In this Psalm, the writer states the reason he would honor God is His
faithfulness in everything. From creation to life plan He has never failed. We
often fail at perfection. This failure has required standards to be relaxed, so
they are achievable.
132
Our happiness increases as standards relax, but the power and confidence
we desire are only for a moment. When we go outside of our shell, the
discovery of our weakness shines brightly. I can remember many times that
I have had an idea that was great. I thought it would solve the problems in
laying out for me. Just as I spoke these great ideas, the retort was they had
already been tried and had failed.
When this happens, a sense of worthlessness rises within your soul. Is it
that I am worthless or my ideas of no value? Perspectives were not equal,
and the perfect answer was not listened to.
What is our response to this disappointment? My response is to withdraw,
most of the time. What value is there to share when no one wants to listen
to you? There is a value when we think like the psalmist.
The God that we serve is committed to us. He not only listens but had
planned for these. As the song of praise continues, the Lord takes care of all
our enemies and disappointments. When we run to Mount Zion, we will
feed on the finest foods.
Often we question where God is when we need Him? He is always near, but
we have run to the wrong people and places. Our God is the last place when
we have exhausted all other options. When we sit back and write what He
has already done, we will regain our confidence.
We are too easily distracted by the stresses of life. Our God has made us
perfect through Jesus Christ so we can access the blessings promised.
133
P is for
Precious
Thought for the day

The things that are most precious we cannot take with us when
we die. Choosing eternity as a precious possession is the most
valuable of all.
134
Prayer
Dear God,
Are you as precious to me as I am to you? Probably not! I need to
change this but seem to fail so often. Enable me to make the
changes needed to see how precious you are.
In Jesus name,
Amen
135
Read Psalm 119: 65 - 80
Why is precious so important? When we are precious to God, we find that

He is gentle and protective. When we are not obedient, we are no less
precious than we were before. He, God, made us in His image. He is
concerned, not with His image but with His creation.
We are worried about our image more than our relationship with God. We
are concerned about God’s image, and we want to protect God. We have
tried to achieve something we cannot ever hope of succeeding. Our hard
work has taken away the preciousness of our relationship and has taken
away our power to accomplish in our life.
Perfection is precious. It is the desire of most of us. It is also achievable if
we accept it as a gift and not work so hard to achieve it. But it is not free. It
does cost you control of your life, allowing you to have less stress and
experience how precious you are to God.
Scripture says many things that are precious. The most used times the word
is applied is regarding stones. If we did a study of this connection, we would
find a link to the New Heaven, which had a foundation of them. The High
Priest also wore a special robe with 12 of them representing the tribes of
Israel.
Peter, in his books, writes about how precious the blood of Christ is. This
focus would infer the idea that the Jerusalem Church struggled with the
concept; being Jews, they had the Law and the promises. Peter, himself,
had struggled with this idea until God revealed the truth in a dream.
As the Psalmist writes in verse 72, God’s Law is more precious than silver or
gold. Since there is no writer assigned or named, the writer is most often
assumed to be David. With this in mind, we can see his mind reflect on what
was most important in his kingdom and as a leader.
The task of building the temple Solomon's, which David wanted to build,
but God would not allow it. Having this desire to demonstrate his desire,
David may have written these verses reflecting the deepest desire of a
commitment to the Law of God, not the idols of his people.
136
In Peter’s books, there are other ideas associated with "precious." The
promises which God has made are precious. Precious because when God
Has given them to us He will keep them. The faith that we have is precious
because it comes from God and it is through this that we have salvation.
Most of all, we read in scripture that the blood of those who are faithful is
precious in the sight of God. Faithfulness to His law as He gave it is not only
important; it has a priority of value.
In our lives valuing what is precious is misconstrued with the word
significant. We are so precious God made His Son die. He will expend all His
power to secure the outcome of His promises.
At the same time, we hold these ideals as just essential values to keep close
when we are struggling. If they were precious, we would hold them as
principles to live by. Immersing ourselves in the relationship so their
preciousness would shine, not marred by our lackluster life.
We carry our scripture in our phones and our hand when we go to church.
We hold precious our culture and the things we own. Our relationships and
image are more precious that standing firm for our faith. Winning scriptural
arguments are more precious than winning souls.
The question we need to ask is what precious stones do we give to our
friends and neighbors? Not in the physical sense but in the spiritual.
137
Q is for
Quiet
Thought for the day

A quiet spirit is often overlooked or criticized as weak. In life, the
quiet is the strongest, most observant, and wisest.
138
Prayer
Dear God,
I don’t enjoy quiet many times. I get anxious if things aren’t
going faster enough. I need to change, but quietness leaves me
confused. Empower me to choose quietness so I can hear your
voice clearer.
Amen
139
Read Psalm 107:23 – 43
Quiet and quietness are themes in the Bible. It is a result of being in a

position of calmness. A place where there is no fear. This idea is often
compared with peace, but it is not the same.
Calmness is associated with quiet and infers a lack of struggle versus noise.
It is the confidence one has in a storm. Quiet is opposite of noise versus
peace and confusion. Peace is much more sensory and a synonym for calm.
We search for peace in our confusion of life but often don’t find it.
Quietness is not a state of being rather quiet is related to outer elements.
When there is quiet, there is no noise from the storm because in the eye
the noise is a distance away. If you are in the eye of the storm, you
experience calmness or the opposite of the destructiveness a storm can
make. At the same time, you know the eye will move, and the storm will
return. Or response is to stand firm and maintain the calmness of
confidence, or panic like the disciples.
Just because there is no noise, does not mean there is no movement. It is,
rather, when things move that we have noise. In reality, we are often scared
of quiet because we are so accustomed to noise. We are scared because we
become more tuned to each small noise magnifying the smallest one to a
crescendo in our consciousness. Therefore, we prefer noise, however little,
to soothe our insecurity.
God offers us a place of quietness that helps us feel secure. With this feeling
of security, we can be confident. Feeling this confidence, we can feel
fulfilled as a person. Fulfilled we can stand in the storms around us and
reach out to others.
In theology, we claim that God offers this place of quietness to all of His
creation. We can, however, only experience this by becoming a Christian.
The question that should be asked is, “If this quietness promised is so
attractive why don’t people experience it?” Is this just an illusion in
Christianity?
The answer is, “No! It is not an illusion.” It does come at a cost though.
God, who is the protector, has promised this, but it has to be our choice.
140
The choice is to leave all our cares and stress at the entrance of the place of
quietness. Let God take care of them and focus on rejuvenation, or
reenergizing our life. From this point, we are invited to stay. We can see our
life with more clarity, and we can see our world more as God sees it.
When we not only see but experience the power of God in this place, we
will never want to leave. Our desires will become closer to the desires of
God the longer we stay in the quietness of His promises.
Many times in our busy lives we choose the easy way. The way of less noise
because too much noise stresses us out. These choices are where we go so
wrong in our Christian lives. Jesus didn’t offer salvation so we could take the
easy way out. He gave us salvation so He could demonstrate His power. Our
relationship with Jesus Christ should result in a calmness of spirit that
comes from an active relationship with the Holy Spirit.
To have this relationship He, the Holy Spirit requires less outside noise.
Scripture says His voice is quiet. He doesn’t want to compete with other
noises. Our quietness of spirit will be what attracts others to Jesus Christ.
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t get angry at times; Or that we
shouldn’t stand for what’s right. It means that we should let God do more of
the fighting so we can retain confidence in each situation. Through the
quiet, we can be bold to proclaim “He is Lord!”
141
Q is for
Quaint
Thought for the day

Traitors we are when we deny the truth. No amount of money
will take away the guilt that comes from denial.
142
Prayer
Dear God,
I have often denied our relationship to save face. You, on the
other hand, have given all for mine. Empower me to stand for
truth, so the guilt does not hinder your power in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
143
Read Psalm 145
Quaint is often about culture in the past. We live in a world of high-speed

change. As our life gets busier, we get caught up in the speed of the change.
God offers us a place of quietness. It is not just an outside image while the
frustration builds inside of us.
Don’t confuse quaint with kind, nice, or mannerly. It’s altogether something
different. Those things are of the earth. Kindness is of heaven and isn’t
quaint. It’s not for image maintenance or keeping feathers unruffled.
Kindness is love manifest in action.
It’s easy to think of Jesus’ words and actions as kind. We see Jesus as
speaking with the fire of pure love burning in his eyes. He did nothing to
provoke, nothing from fear, nothing to prove anything. He was driven by
the purpose as dictated by His Father.
Perhaps the best way to see quaint is the event when Jesus threw the
money-changers out of the temple. Here we find Jesus quiet on the outside
but burning inside with the use fo something sacred for profit.
Kindness is humbly engaging that someone in a hard conversation. For
some, the kindness outweighs the negatives. We keep it on top of the show
while the anger and negativity races underneath.
In many ways, if we become quaint and not quiet, we take away the power
in our spiritual lives. We speak spiritual things, but cuts in power are
because of our lack of dealing with our undercurrent of emotions.
We are distracted by our interests and glory. Our Lord wants us to have the
glory and has promised to raise us higher than we could if we do it alone.
He promises to empower us if only we give Him the control He desires.
Our frustrations with how God interacts with us or lack of power to impact
our corner of the world around us is due to our quaintness.
144
While kindness is a choice, it isn’t meant to be forced on any person. To

grow and develop our fruit is dependent on our acceptance of the rules God
insists on us following. If you read the New Testament, you will discover
Jesus saying that His yoke is light versus the enforcement of the laws by the
Pharisees and Sadducees.
The choice is one of saying “Yes” to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
The problem is that the energy it takes to keep the quietness outside does
not allow us to hear it. How can we hear the still small voice if we are
fighting with the outside voices of our peers, friends, or other significant
relationships? Jesus never strong-armed His disciples into following Him. He
never hid the fact that the road would be tough.
Developing a habit of saying “Yes” to the Holy Spirit is not natural. We are
born in sin and to sin. Our freedom to make decisions comes from our
formation in the “image of God. It is a choice we must make, and we can
only make it when we have confidence in His decisions. This confidence
must be higher than our fear of failure, which we have naturally.
Being quiet can enable a sense of apathy leading to quaintness. We need to
acknowledge this danger as to set some barriers to help us change
directions. When we have overcome, we can maintain a true quietness
which is attentive to the Holy Spirit’s voice.
145
R is for
Real
Thought for the day

What is real to one may be false to another. Life history is real,
but not all reality is transferable to others.
146
Prayer
Dear God,
How often I have just made the motions and ignored reality. I am
often confused with what is real and what is not. Enable me to
discern the difference in each decision.
In Jesus name,
Amen
147
Read Acts 17:16 - 31
“Is God real?” is a good question. When it comes to a personal God, the tide
is turning. The majority used to say yes, but these are now the minority.
With all the stress and tragedy around us, it is hard to visualize a ‘god” in
control. The problem is that we would seem to define God so differently.
For some God is close while to others, He is disconnected from His creation,
and we are in free fall, choosing paths as we see fit.
The God that I am talking about and refer to is a person who understands
our reality. He is real, and His promises are real. In our search for real
relationships, we look for someone to trust and feel safe. Our real world is
in a state of confusion or reality the cause of our stress.
It may be a bit harsh, but there is no grey area in God’s mind. “Maybe” is
not in His vocabulary. The word “but” is there a lot. That is because He
always gives us a choice. We cannot blame God for something we chose to
do and suffer.
In real relationships, there is some suffering often seen as a punishment for
something we did. Rather suffering is a choice that we made ending as a
consequence. At the same time, the God that Christians worship never
promised life would be rosy and sweet all the time. We are human, and we
live with humans making choices that are real to our situation as we see it.
God makes decisions based on His eternal vision of our lives. His reality has
a longer view of our reality.
In today’s world, it is hard to know what is real and what is not. It would
seem that every original is copied and sold as original. The marketing
strategy is to sell a copied version for cheap, so our image grows.
We find this ability in scripture with Moses and the exodus from Egypt.
Moses had the power of God at his fingertips. On presentation of how great
his god was Pharaoh’s men did the same. So what was the big deal? We can
do what you can do so we should not change.
The real challenge came only in the last plague, and that was life and death.
Pharaoh’s men could not stop the angel of death from taking the firstborn.
They could not bring life back once it was gone.
148
Real power rests on an ability to give life once it is dead which is what
Christianity is all about. The Apostle Paul writes this in Romans 6. It is a
great concept, but not one that many Christians take seriously.
Real Christianity is not about death, but life in Christ. In reality, it means
that we have the power of God at our fingertips.
What happened to this real life-giving power? We can find many reasons,
and the basic argument is that we have forgotten the first commandment.
We don’t worship idols anymore, at least not real ones like the old days. We
do, however, have idols that come between our relationships with God. We
don’t call them idols, but anything that takes our eyes off our Saviour and
Lord is considered one.
A sour relationship, a drive for success or position, something another
person has which we can see ourselves enjoying could be the source of
stress. We give up a real power relationship for one that is lackluster or
fulfills our desire in the short term.
What we need today is real people having a real relationship with Jesus
Christ. One that demonstrates the power He promised: One that is life-
giving to those who are on the road to death, physically and spiritually.
149
R is for
Reaction
Thought for the day

Reactions are the only things remembered. As right or they may
be, we must take care in how we react to unwarranted attacks.
150
Prayer
Dear God,
It is easy to say you are judge, Lord, but it is hard to stand still.
Often I react because I feel falsely accused. May I stand firm and
let you handle the response because you are much wiser.
In Jesus name,
Amen
151
Read Psalm 119:161 – 176
Real, real, and reactions are all somewhat linked to each other. The reality
is that we live a real life where reactions are constantly made, but not
always to our liking.
We base our reactions to what we face in life on a short-sighted view. Our
reaction to God can be quite negative because we lack foresight and He
sees the whole of our future. Reactions can hurt but most often build us up.
Reactions can drive us away from God along with other things that give us
short-term satisfaction.
We can control our reactions, but not how other people react to us or their
situation. Often we get a lot of stress because of others reactions to
creating an overreaction from us. We need to concentrate on our reactions
and let the other things. Sometimes that means making choices about who
we hang out with. You do not always make a lot of friends, but you do have
less stress. With less stress, you can focus on your relationship with God.
Consider what we read in this psalm. “People attack me for no
reason.”(v161), which is what I feel like a lot of the time. David’s attacks
came mostly from King Saul. Saul had no reason to attack David in reality,
but because David was going to take his throne, I wouldn’t blame him.
David had no choice in the selection of the future king. He would have
preferred to be the shepherd tending to his sheep. It was less stressful, and
the only attacks were the wild animals.
Still, David says that he was trembling because of God’s word to him. His
reaction to being chosen was to wait until God made the opening. It was an
opposite to King Saul’s. Even while Saul was in pursuit of David, David did
not kill him even when he had the opportunity.
Ezra had a different situation. He was already in a leadership position. As a
prophet, he represented the nation before God. When his leaders came to
him with the problem of sin, He tore his robe and wept. (Ezra 9)
152
His reaction showed how much he understood the consequence of

continuing down the road as a nation. God would destroy the nation which
had a history cycle of going into captivity.
If you have ever been in captivity, you would know that it is never a positive
experience to your ego. Being unable to make any choices other than those
demanded makes most of us shrink with fear.
In a conversation the other day, about an incident in the U.S., I responded
that the problem was an overreaction to an overreaction. The first reaction
set in motion a choice of responses, one of which was to have an extreme
reaction in the opposite direction.
It is easy to overreact when we feel stressed. We lose control of our
emotions and let others determine our reaction. That is what reaction is all
about who controls our emotions and actions.
If we hold grudges or keep points of wrongs, we will let the one with whom
we have these negative emotions control us. IT sounds funny because we
don’t see the situation that way.
If David had held the wrongs that Saul did to him, he would have killed him
earlier. Instead, he focused on the promises of God. Staying focused,
allowed David to let his God control his reactions. Keeping his reactions in
balance, he was able to be the leader that God wanted.
Ezra’s reaction to sin is probably not what most Christian leaders would do
today. We like our clothes and sin is not such a big thing. You ask
forgiveness, make a promise, and real life goes on. Our sin won’t affect the
nation as it did Israel, is our thinking.
It is untrue, but we believe it anyway because we have become very
individualistic. What we need are leaders who will stand for the nation
before God. We need leaders who will accept the fact they are chosen by
God to do this job. We need to consider our reaction to who we are as
Christians. God has chosen us. He has determined the path and our reaction
to adversity should be life David’s. To know God will open the doors in His
time. There will always be adversity in our life, and our reaction to it will
determine our success or stresses.
153
S is for
Salvation
Thought for the day

We all need salvation at one point or another in our lives. For
some, it is a help when we are unable to fight any more. For
others, it is a sign of strength and relationship.
154
Prayer
Dear God,
I need your salvation to keep me from harming myself. I blunder
and stumble at every turn, and you have been my strength to
recover. Thank you for being my salvation.
In Jesus name,
Amen
155
Read 2 Chronicles 6:22-42

”Salvation” is about being in a pinch, or in a position where we can’t find a
way out. The Bible says it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than a
camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is because a rich man is not
often in the position of need.
Remember the story of Nicodemus. He was a rich man and had this
question. There had to be a way to get salvation other than pure need, but
it isn’t true. Salvation is about understanding our need. There are no works,
absolutions, or payments to Church needed for God’s salvation. No Church
or religion can guarantee salvation.
Salvation and security are inseparable. We cry out for Salvation because we
lack security. When we find a person to give us salvation we feel secure in
their presence.
What do we do when we get saved is very important to our future. Often
we have a sweet memory when we experience salvation. The problem is
that we don’t follow the person who saved us. We chalk it up to experience
and forget the lesson of how we got into the problem the first time.
If you have read the suggested verses, you will discover that this is a
dedication prayer of Solomon. He had just built the temple and wanted God
to continue blessing His people, Israel.
What Solomon wanted was the continued salvation for the people. There
are several questions that he asks before he closes which is what salvation
is all about. The wisest king knew that as history before and after
demonstrates; the people would sin and go into captivity. Would their God
abandon them because of their sin? Would God bring them salvation if they
returned to worship Him?
The salvation that Christians commit to is very powerful. The God they serve
will not give up on them. Their power to defeat their enemies was
determined by what they did with their salvation experience.
156
Solomon understood where God was and where He should be in the

temple. In his time God resided in the Holy of Holies where the Ark was. He
spoke to the king through prophets.
As Solomon finished the temple, he invited God to come and rest in His
assigned place so that his kingdom would be successful. Salvation was
determined by God choosing to reside in the temple because it was a holy
place.
Some will argue that we need to live a life of riches and health. These
demonstrate that our salvation is secure. God does want us to be
prosperous and healthy. The problem is that we, the people, do not live
lives dependent on Him. We often prefer to depend on ourselves for our
salvation. Like Israel, we return to worship when our luck hits the skids.
What we do with our salvation is to ignore the temple, our body, like a
temple.
God is the source and guarantor of our salvation. As the Guarantor of our
salvation, God gives us the peace that is only available when we feel secure.
Salvation is attractive. It is only attractive if we change our lives after we
have salvation from the problem that caused our need.
Our need comes from the sin passed down from Adam. Our weakness is
being finite. If you put your faith in the salvation of less than the ultimate
Lord God, you will one day find a stronger, bigger, or larger, opponent. The
message of salvation is not different for one than the other but offered to
all. The protection we have comes from a correct understanding of it. When
the Lord is central to our life, benefits will flow. When we ignore the Lord
and worship become a habit, we fail, but the effectiveness of His promise is
always there if we choose to return.
157
S is for
Security
Thought for the day

How insecure we are. We put on that we are secure only to
shrink inside ourselves when faced with conflict.
158
Prayer
Dear God,
I am so insecure when I should be strong. When I feel your
presence, I am bold and confident. Help me to move forward
with the security you give through the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name,
Amen
159
Read Ruth 4:1-12
Salvation and security are inseparable. We cry out for salvation because we
lack security. When we find a Person to give us salvation, we feel secure in
their presence.
As the guarantor of our salvation, God gives us the peace that we can only
have when we have security. The happiest people on Earth are those who
are secure. They are people of power. They have power, not because they
have money, but because they have the wisdom beyond the wisdom of
normal man. They have security that others want.
We need the security of something or someone which is infinite in every
way. There is no security if there is no infiniteness. It is not better or best. It
is ultimate or nothing. If you put your salvation of less than the ultimate you
will one day find a stronger, bigger, or larger, opponent. There is no security
in something that is best only today. There is no security in something that
changes with each generation or culture.
The security we have is because the Person who offers it is the ultimate in
everything. He is infinite. He never changes from one day or another. He
never allows people to interfere with the security of His people.
Ruth and Naomi returned from a foreign country with no security. In a
male-dominated society, being single women made life tough. Boaz is often
considered a type of Christ because he did what Christ did for us.
These insecure ladies represent our lives as we grow up. Naomi’s husband
was not a Jew making a move to his country mandatory which was an
uncontrolled life change. At the same time, without it, the story we read
would be very different.
God was always in control, though the road was difficult. The Lord saw the
long-term situation, and it ended with salvation and security of the two
ladies.
160
As the story continues, we have a rejection of the right to an inheritance.

What a poor excuse for rejection of a young lady. If the uncle bore a son
with her, it would take away from the inheritance of the other children.
That would be painful for anyone.
Boaz was a landowner with many workers. Money was not an issue. The
first contrast we find between Christ and Boaz. Our society is full of cliques
and memberships that do the same thing. They reject people based on a
cost-benefit calculation.
Many accept you if you can pull your weight or bring in money. What Boaz
did was so different but within the culture of the day.
The similarity with Christ comes into play here. The deviant here is that
Christ doesn’t have to ask anybody because of who He is. Boaz asked the
family for the right to give security to Ruth and Naomi.
To secure this Boaz had to pay for all the debts that were still there from
Naomi’s former husband. A perfect example of what Christ did for us on the
cross and which we celebrate at Easter.
In Boaz’s culture, it was the financial responsibility of these two ladies. In

our life, it is Christ’s responsibility once we accept His offer of salvation.
The result of Boaz’s action is the blessing of being in the lineage of Christ.
We don’t have that necessarily, but we do become His responsibility when
we become Christians. He owns our debt.
Jesus Christ has paid the price for all our debts. Still, we prefer to hang on to
them as a type of security blanket. It is the only way we can reproduce
spiritual children. There should not be insecurity because He alone has all
the solutions, the money, and the power to secure the debt.
161
T is for
Truth
Thought for the day

Knowing truth is to hang on to confidence and boldness. In any
storm, the truth will never change.
162
Prayer
Dear God,
Trusting in truth is so hard when surrounded by selfishness. The
truth that I need you sets me free to do your work. Enable me to
trust only you to push away the selfishness in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
163
Read John 18: 25 – 40
Truth is something we all want. Without it, there is no trust. People tell me
all the time to tell the truth. Most times they do not want the truth, they
want a nice thought because the real truth would be too painful. That is the
problem with the truth. The whole truth must also have a balance of the
positive and negative.
Jesus said the truth would set us free. He never said that telling the truth
was without consequence, or that it was painless. We forget about that in
our Theology and Doctrine. We focus so much on our history of belief and
heritage that we miss the truth.
The truth will set us free but are we willing to pay for it? No freedom has
come easy for any one person, tribe, or cause. That is why we have so many
wars and fights. But do not confuse freedom with the truth. When we fight
for truth, we discover freedom from the bondage of our insecurities. We
get the freedom to see the world as God sees it. We also relive ourselves of
the guilt trips we take because we didn’t tell the truth.
Truth has the best eyes you have. When you have found someone who tells
you the truth without bias, you will trust them which is a problem today.
There is no trust in the Church, religious/spiritual leaders, politicians, family,
or your neighbor.
God has never pinched the truth. He has always told it straight. His love for
us demands that there is nothing but the whole truth. The truth is that we
are inadequate to achieve His standard or consider to even look at anything
that is imperfect.
That is the great thing about a relationship with Jesus Christ. We are
sinners and underachievers spiritually because the truth is that we carry a
lot of stuff around that, we do not need. The stuff we carry around is like
stuffing a large suitcase or trunk and keep it with us wherever we go. Like
the dirty shirts, we stuff in the trunk from bad relationships or hurt feelings.
The truth is that we like to open the box and think about what made the
shirt dirty. We do not like the smell, but then if we threw them out, we
would have to swallow our pride a bit and admit that maybe we were
wrong.
164
The truth is we are scared of throwing out the trunk of junk. We would
have to replace it with something or have a lot of extra space to enjoy more
positive things. Maybe it came from our grandfather or grandmother, an
heirloom full of feuds and twisted truths. We would do our ancestors a
disservice to throw them out. Ah! The memories!
When you read scripture, you will discover God always tells the truth. It is
Satan that has distorted the truth we follow his example of telling half-
truths because he makes the reward sound so sweet.
God offered a perfect world if Adam and Eve stayed away from a certain
tree. The truth is never complicated or confusing. We are the ones that
make truth complicated and confusing. When Jesus told His disciples that
they should go with the power, it was simple. They didn’t believe that they
could do it.
The truth many times is not believed. It is too simple and powerful. Trust
becomes the issue because of an inferior trust relationship to Jesus Christ.
We need to determine where, and in whom, we will trust. Our history,
family, and spiritual leaders all hold truth, but not all truth. Only Jesus Christ
has the whole truth. He alone is the guarantor of truth.
We often back down from the truth because of a fear of rejection. We don’t
want the truth because it will force us to be introspectively challenging us
to change. To change is to admit we are weak damaging our outward
image.
What is the truth? The truth is we are unable to achieve anything on our
own. Everything in life connects to our relationship with Jesus Christ. We
will achieve financial success, which is fleeting and short. We will achieve
high positions because of our character and life choices. We will not achieve
any security of life or peace in the storm if our relationship is not active or
in touch.
165
T is for
Trunks
Thought for the day

We love to carry the old around with us. We have trunks of stuff
that collects over time. It’s time we let it go feeling the freedom
to expand and explore new relationships
166
Prayer
Dear God,
I hate to give up the many trunks of memories I have collected. I
need to clean them out so I can experience how light your
burden truly is. Help me to let go so you can re-energize my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen
167
Read Ezekiel 12:1 – 20
Trunks can be a swimsuit in the current language. These are not the focus
but could perhaps be relative to the discussion. That is because of swim
trunks are required because they are thought to be cleaner than regular
pants.
There is no implication of cleanliness. It is just a perception because of

what they are.
The trunk that we want to consider is one that we fill up with cherished
treasures; the large box that we carry from one place to another in life. I
have a box full of memories that I move from one house to another. I
don’t like throwing things away making my moves more expensive.
Contrary to what we should do as Christians.
The truth is that we are scared of throwing out the trunk of “junk.” We would
have to replace it with something, and we don’t know what that would be.
Maybe it came from our grandfather r grandmother, an heirloom full of feuds
and twisted truths. We would do our ancestors a disservice to throw them
out. Ahhh! Memories!
The truth is that if we think if we keep the trunk, filling it with lovely things,
our house will be brighter. We can hold our head high, and our friends will
admire the trunk of our forefathers. What is in the trunk and the freshness
fills the room and our lives.
If you have read the scripture, you will find encouragement to pack you
trunk and leave. Separate from those who refuse to obey the Lord. When I
travel, I see many super-sized cases and wonder why people travel with
such heavy things. Perhaps they are taking everything they own with them.
In our growing global exposure, most everything we have in one place can be
replaced with something of equal value. Of course, the cost of repurchasing
items can lead to budget stress, or perhaps a rethinking of what we need.
When relationships change, and we choose one with Jesus Christ, this is also
something to consider.
168
God was telling the prophet to separate. In Bible times there were tents and
animals to move along with family. It was cumbersome and leaving the
family and friends was never the first choice. Leaving was a choice of
freedom or slavery.
The same situation can be found in our lives today. Christianity has minimal
separation from the culture around us. The choices we make are often not
what God would have made. In the end, we, like Israel, are enslaved with
those who hold to the traditions and not the truth of God’s promises.
Like most times of slavery, Israel was not without a remnant. The promise
that God made from the first. When God told us to separate danger is not far
away. At the same time, if we leave with nothing, God will show how little
we left behind.
Rediscovering God is the best thing that could have happened to Israel and
us. Staying with the crowd, Christian or not can lead us into the struggle.
God promised blessings, and as with Job His blessings will be better the
the second time around if we leave our trunks behind in obedience.
Have you looked in your trunk lately? What is in there that is keeping God’s
love from filling it? God cannot enter a trunk of old dirty things. The truth is
He has given us a chance, not only to cleanse it but to fill it with goodness.
Jesus blood is what cleanses even the dirtiest stain and restores the trunk
to its original beauty and fragrance if we would only accept the truth that
God has shown and told us.
169
U is for
Understanding
Thought for the day

What we hear is not what we understand. What we understand
is not always the truth, but only a perception.
170
Prayer
Dear God,
Understanding comes only from your Spirit. Often I get
frustrated because I lean on my understanding and not yours.
Empower me to hear the still small voice of your Holy Spirit to
build my understanding.
In Jesus name,
Amen
171
Read Hebrews 4
To be understood is important to all of us. It is important for a healthy

relationship. Without understanding, there is just frustration and often
withdrawal. What we tell people when they are hurting or down, “Go to
God, He will understand you.”. But does it work? It would seem that it
is a hit and miss. Sometimes I feel that God does not understand. At other
times He is so distant, my world is out of control.
I grew up in Church and know the arguments, but I rarely saw the reality.
The reality is that if I have the money or the Church can I manipulate me;
I am welcome to be a part of it. Now that is not true of all Churches for sure.
There are many good ones, but I was asked to leave a Church, of whom a
a good friend of mine was the Pastor because I asked too many questions.
As new Christians join the ranks of the soldiers of the Cross, there is a
great joy. Then the soldier falls, and they seem to be fallen forever. No one
wants to know the truth or understand. The healing of understanding, or the
balm of forgiveness is never applied until the healing is finished.
Jesus can say He understands because of the things He went through in His sh
ort life on this Earth. He was hailed as a King and then spat on by the same
people. The expectation that came with the power of miracles gave no
human understanding.
God can understand because the people, which He chose and built up,
rejected His overtures because they wanted what other people had
and not His blessing. The people rejected the system because it was too hard
to follow. They denied Him the right to bless them because
they thought they were smart enough to do it themselves.
The Holy Spirit can understand because He lives inside every Christian. He is
the Seal of our confession and our future life. He has to struggle with us, at
the most intimate of moments, to encourage but not intervene in our free
thought. The Holy Spirit is there in a moment of an utterance of the name
of Jesus but must wait for us to make that decision.
172
God understands our most intimate of struggles because He is there waiting

for us to choose Him above all else. The problem is in our misunderstanding
of what God wants from us.
Misunderstandings are a part of any communicative relationship. The

disciples had a culture to deal with. They had leaders who added to what
Christ had commanded to enable them to maintain power.
Not understanding implies that there is a clarity issue. What God

communicates is always very clear. It’s a good standard to challenge
whether something is of God or not. If it is not clear it is not from God.
God is very good at clarity. Satan is good at misinformation.
Hearing and understanding are very different. Often my students hear what I
say and do something different. Is this because they have a hearing problem
or an understanding problem?
They can hear their friends well, and if you offer a few sweet candies, they
seem to have no problem understanding. To understand the reward offered
we need to understand the motivation.
In our relationships, it is no different. If we discover there is a benefit from

understanding we will listen closely to what is said. We don’t always see a
benefit from listening closely to God. We prefer to listen to our friends,
culture, and conscience. They will lead us down paths similar to God’s
but with limited benefits if God does not control these,
173
U is for
Umbilical
Thought for the day

To be tied to another is inconvenient and controlling. In this
situation, we often focus on the weakness, not the strength,
security, and support an umbilical cord can give.
174
Prayer
Dear God,
When I choose to disconnect my life from you, it deteriorates so
fast. I don’t always like the umbilical cord relationship, but
without it, I am a hopeless mess.
In Jesus name,
Amen
175
Read Ezekiel 16:1 – 19
There are a variety of uses for an umbilical cord. Space suits have them for
both security and safety. It is more than a lifeline we would find in hiking. It is
designed to provide nutrition and other support to sustain life.
If you read the scripture, you will find that it is part of the salvation story.
In Ezekiel, it is directly tied to the salvation of Israel. The people felt
rejected because of their heritage God had promised.
This birth metaphor is where we all start. Most, but not all, people are born in
to a world where; the cord is cut, the baby washed, and a warm swaddling
the cloth is wrapped around for security.
When we think of Israel and its fight for nationhood we can find this
visualization to be very accurate.
Throughout this story we find God rediscovering a woman in different states

of stress. What should have been a success story was one of a continuous
challenge. In spite of the unbecoming visuals, beauty is in the continued care
God had for this woman. He never let the flow of blessings and nurturing stop,
even after continued rejection.
What happens when we become a Christian? When our lives are facing
heightened stress, we open our mind to the Holy Spirit. We feel dirty and
hopeless God reaches down and rescues us.
Though there is no direct control of our lives, there is always a connection to

His grace. Umbilical cords allow for freedom of movement, but not
disengagement. As we discover in this story, the lady has the freedom to
choose how to run her life. In response, the caregiver provides sustenance
at each stage of maturity.
As babies, we no longer need the cord once outside of the womb. Using this
Imagery, the physical cord may have been cut, but the connection to our
creator is not. A mother is always connected to what she has borne into this
world. Even if she rejects it, she has a lifetime connection.
He, the Lord, has given us the umbilical cord which never breaks. This cord,
given to us when we are conceived in the Image of God, is the lifeline that
carries all the needs we will ever have. Whether we remain in a state of
immaturity or not, the lifeline is there.
176
Imagine you are tied to someone all your life. What a disastrous thought. It is
almost like a Siamese twin. The difference is that we are linked differently.
God goes where we go because He is everywhere. We do not always want to
go where God wants us to go. We want to be free from this connection. We
want to set our boundaries, and we can. But, we cannot be free from God
until He sets us free. Then we are doomed to an eternity without Him or
the life we seek with Him.
We may not like the idea of an umbilical cord, but we need it. Our lives
without it would be full of chaos. God wants us to become mature in our lives.
He wants us to know His thoughts and desires so we can enjoy His care.
Often we reject His offerings. We view them as showing weakness, but in actu
ality, without it, we would have nothing.
Satan wants us to think there is another way, and often we choose it for what
we see as better benefits. We should choose to remain connected to the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords; The Creator and Sustainer of all. He knows so
much better our future.
177
V is for
Vessels
Thought for the day

Empty vessels are good for the show. Vessels which are used
bring happiness and value to the owner. What we fill our lives
with will determine how valuable to others we are.
178
Prayer
Dear God,
I want to be a useful vessel, but often the aroma makes people
run away. I want to be more than beautiful for the show. I want
to add value to my owner, Jesus Christ. Enable me to focus on
what you fill me with, not my own choices.
In Jesus name,
Amen
179
Read Acts 9:1 - 19
Vessel! What a word! It can be a small vase or a large ship. By definition, it

is just something we put something else into. In the old days and even
today, in many countries, people carry water or market goods in large
vessels. An envelope, which is a vessel of sorts, carries the love from one
heart to another.
In theological terms, we consider ourselves, Christians, as vessels for God’s

message. We are just carriers of a message given to us by Jesus Christ. That
is not the full extent of what we do. As a Christian, I also represent a
relationship with God, an ambassador to the world, but even this is not
enough.
Let us consider a little bit about the idea of the vessel. If I am a vessel, I
must be carried from one point. A vessel is not an autonomous object
determining its direction or position. It must have some value to the owner
to be kept around. If it doesn’t have any value, it is placed in the back or
storage, even given away or destroyed.
If we consider humans as vessels, we can see how God would want to

destroy them when they continued to disobey and destroy everything He
had given them. Reading the Genesis account about Noah is just one of the
many times it is mentioned.
Our struggle most of the time is our place in the kingdom. Because not all
can be at the front door or in a place of prominence, we become jealous.
We fail to realize the value of the lesser vessels. We need vessels that carry
water or for trash. We have vessels for transportation and eating. The
variety is so varied it is impossible to list them all.
We, as vessels, are not made to be sealed as we would do with food to

keep. We are made to be full of whatever our design is for. Jesus said His
burden is not heavy, but light. We, as vessels, should not be clunky chinks
sitting placidly in the corner. We are made to be used, but if this is true, we
may not be the pretty plate kept on the shelf to show people.
180
That is what the Pharisees thought of themselves. The leaders of Jesus’ time
had made the life of the commoner very heavy with rules and restrictions.
They focused on a position versus usefulness.
As a vessel I do not own myself but by another. Probably the idea that is
most valuable to understand. I am created and owned by God, and my
value to God relies on my usefulness to God.
This is a basic statement of philosophy and does not diminish the value we
have, even if we are not very useful. When we define usefulness, we must
determine what that means to God. In God’s terms usefulness is to be
obedient to His desire.
In our terms, we may define usefulness as how often we are filled or moved
compared to others. The word “compare” is the key problem. God does not
compare us to others. He is focused on only us, as individuals.
Another problem is that we do not always like our owner. We want to

determine how we are used and do our own thing. We do not like what is
put inside of us or the message. We think we have no purpose sitting in the
corner or on a shelf. The question is where we put our special things. If we
have many special things, there is no room, and not all are in the most
prominent places. I put mine in a drawer or hang them on a wall. If we have
special china perhaps in a special cabinet using them only for special
occasions in case they get scratched.
As a vessel of Jesus Christ, scratches are a sign of being used well. He

doesn’t need to worry about the loss of the gold or tarnish to the silver.
Jesus has already taken care of that with His blood sacrifice. He doesn’t
need anything from me except obedience. His gift to me is all the power of
heaven.
We often see our usefulness in terms different than God. Joseph, the
Apostles, and we today continue to have value in whatever place or status
we are in. The choice of the vessel is none. A vessel is just an open nice
looking piece into which something is put. It has no choice as to what is
placed into it or where it ends up Wherever it is; it has a purpose set out by
the owner, Jesus Christ.
181
V is for
Vassals
Thought for the day

I am a vassal to the ones I follow. Choosing wisely who I follow
will make my vassal life fuller.
182
Prayer
Dear God,
I am a slave to so many things. I have so many masters at the
same time I get tired trying to please them all! Help me to a slave
only to you, my Lord.
In Jesus name,
Amen
183
Read 2 Kings 17
The idea of the vessel and vassal well together. The vessel is about an
object that has value, and a vassal is about the person who is owned. A
vassal is about slavery and a person who has no rights and has a no
direction except that of the master.
In the scripture reading today we find Israel has become a vassal to Assyria.
Israel, as a nation, was chosen to portray the power of God to the nations
around them. They had a free choice to obey the laws set by God or ignore
them.
The promise God made was He would protect them, even give them victory,
if they obeyed. He would give them the land of Abraham which was rich and
fertile. What a great promise! If you read the Old Testament, you will find
Israel wandering in the desert, not the fertile land a lot of the time.
As vassals, they had a free mind but no freedom or control of their life. We
like to think that we can choose, but in reality, we choose only which
master we will serve. Paul writes there are two masters, God and Satan;
both seemingly offer great things.
What Satan offers is often instant with short-term benefits. We are

constantly searching for a new high emotionally, financially, or relationally.
God, on the other hand, offers long-term benefits with a constant growth
chart built-in.
Satan focuses on making us #1, while God insists on us making Him #1. We
often prefer to keep ourselves at the top of attention. We prefer a moment
of happiness to a life of peace, power, and contentment.
In our reading, the King of Israel in Samaria had chosen to fear other gods.
He had chosen to follow the crowd and in return lost the power of God. The
Assyrians chose to gain by making their vassal nation pay for their
protection.
184
As we read farther, they tried to cheat and get out of their responsibility.
With the king in prison, there were not a lot of options. They continued to
choose leaders who followed this line of disobedience, unlike Joseph, David,
Paul, or Stephen who chose to serve with joy.
A vassal’s choice is to look at the benefits and choose the master they want
to serve. Israel’s king chose to pay the other king and save his position. The
other choice would be to clean the nation of all the idols and begin
worshipping the true God.
We want to choose God, but we choose Satan’s short-term benefits. We

like to feel like we are in control even if we are not. We choose to pay
others to keep our feeling of importance intact. In the end, Israel became
not only a vassal nation, paying taxes, but real slaves which is much worse.
Our stress comes because we struggle which master to serve. When we

commit to serving God, we think our stress will go away. Though this is true,
the key is to choose one master to serve. Second, we need to make a
change to our lifestyle which focuses on the worship of our choice
When the storms of life come, our choice will determine how we weather it
in the long term or short term. If we are vassals, we keep some form of
control, as long as we pay the master. Not what the true God desires.
God doesn’t need our money, as He owns it all already. Christianity is not
about being vassals, but sons and daughters, and inheritors of eternal life. It
is about having all the resources of heaven available by just saying the name
of Jesus. It is about having the confidence of victory in every challenge.
Vassal infers so many negatives: A loss of freedom while maintaining a

position. A relationship which builds the strength of another, becoming
weaker ourselves. The idea of a vassal, as we find in this story, creates more
negatives than it does positives. There is no security and a burden which is
uncomfortable to bear.
We do not need to pay for our salvation, our freedom, or our peace of
mind. With Jesus as Lord, it is a predetermined outcome.
185
W is for
Worry
Thought for the day

Worry can be stressful, draining the energy out of your soul,
destroys relationships, and leads down wrong roads. A life with
worry controlling it can be easily done with a strong relationship
with God.
186
Prayer
Dear God,
I worry way too much Lord. I pray more, but it doesn’t take my
worry away. Enable me to leave those things I worry about at the
cross you died on for me. It is the only way to live with power.
In Jesus name,
Amen
187
Read Hebrews 13: 6 - 22
“Why worry when you can pray?” is an old song we used to sing in church. I
haven’t heard it much of late as it doesn’t fit the modern song lists. Still, we
worry too much. We have so much to worry about. The retirement funds
we have stashed in the bank. Our grades if we are in school. We worry
about our jobs and their security. In English, many of us are
“worrywarts.”
Prayer seems empty when there is no real relationship with God. Worry is a
word that reflects a possibility of failure of our ideals. Worry comes from a
sense of ownership. Let me help you understand this idea.
If I own something, I worry about it. If it is a new car, I worry about

scratches. If it is a new job, I worry if I will perform the task adequately. If I
begin a new relationship, I worry about expectations. Being an owner most
likely makes me a worrier.
On the other hand, if someone else owns the car, I don’t have to worry
about fixing it or how it looks. If my job is secure, I don’t have to worry
about my performance I can do it with confidence. If my new relationship is
secure, I can function better in other relationships.
As a Christian, who owns my dreams, in fact, everything associated with me,

is important. I find this is where the stress points in life converge. Christians
say that God owns everything, yet they live as if they do.
Christians talk as if they own or control their life with God as the
interventionist. This wrong view puts God in a secondary role in our lives
creating a life of worry. Worry is not the same as a concern. Let’s not
confuse these two.
The concern is more empathetic and more about others. Worry focuses on
self and self-achievement. Worry sucks the life out of blessings. There are
no strings to God’s blessings. They are in return for our obedience as
promised.
188
Worry turns our patience into impatience. It eats away at our mind and soul
creating many health problems. What Christ wanted when He chose his
disciples and sent them out. He knew life would be tough and worry would
be a challenge.
We shouldn’t expect a life without worries but with many blessings. The
fact is that we have been given unlimited blessings together with
confidence and power to face the insecurities we have in our life every day.
A friend and I were chatting and as they told me of the road to the job they
currently had. The phrase was repeated; God had given words to speak,
integrity from the boss was given, and their client relationships were
blooming, which is what happens when worry leaves our life. This person
has many concerns but has let the blessings push them to the back
lessening their influence. The impact on those around was demonstrated in
increased sales, more relaxed character, and overall peace that is
indefensible.
Worry attracts attention, weakens character, and denies the power of God.
You may have already answered the knock on your heart to be a Christian,
but do not have the power. That is because you have not changed your life
from worry to wait. You have not allowed God to take the worry away from
you. God has timed everything to fit you. You must adjust your time to His
to affect your worry tendencies.
God is still waiting for you to give Him your life and all your worries. You and
I need to worry less and enjoy God’s power more. That is nice to say but
harder to implement in real life. God is never late, but we’re rarely early or
on time. It’s when we get together with God’s timeline that we lose worry
and do not see patience as a negative but a positive.
Imagine Joseph, sold to traders going to a foreign land. His life was full of
worries. What about Job whose only fault was that he worshiped the true
God. Still, he continued to lose everything. All the worries he must have
had. What about the apostles jailed for healing and preaching. Most of us
would worry about our life, but they chose to worship. It isn’t that we don’t
have concerns or worry. We don’t need worry to dominate our life’s
direction or mood. Choose worship to dominate our life and worry will run
to the corner and sulk.
189
W is for
Waiting
Thought for the day

Waiting can be the hardest thing in the world today. Everything
is based on instant. Taking a moment to make a decision can lead
to betters outcomes many times.
190
Prayer
Dear God,
Waiting for your answer to my prayers is hard. I need decisions
faster. Empower me to be more patient when I make decisions
to be sure they are from you. Your decisions give the best
results.
In Jesus name,
Amen
191
Read Lamentation 3:22 – 36
Have you ever waited for a long time, maybe in traffic or at a doctor’s
office? Waiting is hard for most of us. If the time is not too long, we are ok,
but a long time we get anxious and stressed.
The idea of waiting and patience is what God is all about. In the beginning,
God waited for people to remember Him, but they refused. We have the
story of Noah’s Ark and the promise never to wipe out the earth as he did.
Then God chose a special people as a promise to Abram and waited again.
Again the people chose not to worship or consider His blessings. God
brought the country to ruin and defeat after 40 years or more.
Sarah, Abram’s wife, thought that her age was far beyond normal
childbearing and therefore shouldn’t wait. Israel was promised their land
but couldn’t wait for God to get them there. In actuality, they were there
but refused to obey, after which they wandered till the next generation
could do it.
I hate waiting too long if I don’t have anything else to do so I try always to
have a project to focus on. When we pray, we often forget what we pray for
and then blame God for not answering. If we think about our prayer, we
may find that we were a bit foolish and God answered our prayer, but not
the way we wanted. If He had answered the way, we wanted we would be
in more trouble.
Waiting - hoping – waiting hoping and then doing it ourselves; a cycle that is
very normal “Why can’t God answer faster?” is our cry. At times
Christianity feels so empty and useless. Still, our answer from God is to wait.
What we do when we wait is a demonstration of how confident we are in

the God we claim to serve. In the reading today you find that we are told it
is good to hope for the Lord and sit quietly waiting.
It takes discipline to sit quietly and wait. The hope that we have as
Christians should be the power of our waiting. We hope in the Lord of
Lords, the Master, and Creator of the universe. We say that He wants an
active relationship but not moving faster makes us wonder.
192
In the New Testament, we find Lazarus’ family wanting Jesus to come

quickly before he died. Jesus didn’t change His schedule to heal him, to the
dismay of the family. They were angry because when Jesus arrived Lazarus
had been dead three days already. How rude of Jesus to ignore the fate of
one of His worshipers.
Jesus’ responded with “He is just sleeping.” What was the rush when he
was sleeping? The solution was so simple but was a demonstration of how
Jesus looked at problems versus His followers.
I have got myself into so much trouble because I was impatient from small
accidents to hurting people with words. Impatience causes us unnecessary
stress. Other times I had waited too long and missed the opportunity
because I was not alert when it came.
Jesus said that He is knocking on your heart’s door. He has been waiting and
will wait until you die. He never gives up, and that is what love is all about.
He loved us and wanted us to open the door, so He sent His Son to die for
us and make it easier to make that decision.
Why does God wait so long to answer? Why, if God is all-powerful, does He
not set things straight? We ask these questions when we get ourselves into
trouble. Why wait so long?
Waiting is God’s ideal for life. God is knocking and waiting for you to
answer. You may be a Christian. You may have already answered the knock
but do not have the power. We have a mission, and that is to live our lives
demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to direct our path
and bring people into our circle.
We have a message and while we wait we are to stay focused on His

mercies and compassion. Our lives should be fresh every morning. When
our relationship with Jesus Christ is active an living waiting is never a
problem because we know that the blessings that come will be greater than
our imagination.
193
X is for
eXcited
Thought for the day

Excitement is a brief moment of emotion at its peak. How we
keep the feeling going is the key to our happiness in life.
194
Prayer
Dear God,
I was excited when I met you the first time Lord. Now that is
gone, and stress lingers too long. Empower my life to bring that
excitement as a constant because your power is so great.
In Jesus name,
Amen
195
Read Romans 12
“Born again” is a phrase used to describe the moment a person becomes a
Christian. At Christmas, in the book of Luke, the angels rejoiced when Jesus
was born. The shepherds saw a choir of angels, but the wise men only saw a
star. The birth of Christ evoked
When we get excited, our attention focuses intensely on our energy and our
blood pressure go up. We want to tell our friends and shout to the world.
Excitement is what new birth is all about because there is often a feeling of
freedom. Our sins are forgiven, and the burden we carried is so much
lighter, but there is a honeymoon effect.
The excitement dulls, and real life begins again after a short time. The job
that was boring seems twice as boring. Our dreams have changed, and what
we did with our friends is no longer exciting. We begin to feel empty
because in our new life there is a new person. A person needs to be filled
with new things, dreams, and desires which were different than before.
Everything is brand new, and new relationships develop. The blood of Jesus
Christ has made you clean. So clean that there is no blemish or sin, but do
not be fooled, sin is not far. In fact, the moment of perfection is a fleeting
moment indeed. In fact, the perfection that is real. We do continue to soil
the new relationship, but Christ’s blood is always there to abolish the mark.
At Christmas, the angels were so excited about the birth of this king. They
got excited because it was a victory over Satan. Victory is always exciting!
Just as we get excited, we struggle and see the light at the end. Our choices
matter! Many times we find Israel, the chosen people of God, struggling
with this idea of making God first in their choices.
The disciples had trouble with this after Jesus died. When Jesus was with
them, they could see His power. When He died, they were insecure, and the
teachings of Paul and Peter reflect this struggle.
There is always excitement when miracles happen, but they never seem to
come our way. IT is always for someone else. We don’t get very excited
when someone chooses to follow Christ, because we don’t trust their
decision.
196
Acknowledging God in our choices will create excitement in our lives. It will
challenge us to keep the fire going which means we want to see larger
expressions of power in our lives. The starting point is to acknowledge the
power and knowledge of God in everything we do. Letting God go ahead of
us to empower the path enables us to experience the Lord in a deeper
relationship.
Where we go wrong is thinking we know the path better. We choose the

path we see as most advantageous, not seeing the challenges around the
corners. Israel did this constantly. They looked at what the other nations
had and ignored the blessings and power they had. They were protected
and had peace when others were at war. Still, they chose what others had,
leading to defeat and wandering in the desert.
Choosing to obey what the Lord demands is not an easy choice. It often
goes against everything we have been taught. Though we think like this, we
will find that the scripture principles are common in many other religions.
We prefer though to be self-sufficient. We like to be our god, set our
direction, and get pats on the back.
If we followed the attitude of the scripture today, we would discover that

“Let God do it” is the key to the door of excitement. We will be in awe, and
Jesus will be our hero. As our excitement builds, we will choose Him first as
the answer to all our stress. In our lives today we need to keep our
excitement up. Have you lost your excitement?
197
X is for
eXalted
Thought for the day

To exalt someone or something is to give them the power they
deserve. I exaltation is demanded not given it is not of God.
198
Prayer
Dear God,
“We exalt you Lord” is sung so many times, yet my life does not
reflect this attitude. I want to exalt you because it is the door to
ever-flowing blessings.
In Jesus name,
Amen
199
Read Joshua 4: 1 - 16
What God wants is to exalt us. That means that His desire for us is to be
more than we are without a relationship with Him. The key is to exalt Him in
our lives first. In all of our excitement, we forget to exalt Him and focus on
ourselves.
When trouble comes, we also forget to exalt Him. We have funny ideas of
who God is and what He wants from us. God wants only one thing from us,
and that is to be exalted or to be the first in everything in our lives.
From the Old to the New Testament we can find these themes running
strong. Israel had a problem with exalting God at ALL times. When we read
scripture, the majority of it is about the exalted Christ.
If we were to look at scripture, we would also find that God exalts us to

places of leadership because of this. An interesting idea, but not one that is
foreign to religious or business people.
In business, promotions come because of our loyalty. At the same time, if

we become too powerful, we get fired because we have become a threat.
We find examples of this with God choosing David over Saul. Here we find
Joshua over Moses.
Do you remember the Red Sea that Moses crossed? It is similar to what we
have here. There are a few changes in the story, but the effect is the same.
Israel had a war to be fought, and the Jordan River was in the way. They
needed a leader who would pull them through.
Joshua was a leader, but perhaps not one that was prominent. At the same
time, he obeyed. A precursor to the battle of Jericho found in the next
chapters. Israel needed a leader who understood how to win. They needed
to rally behind someone who had the power to win. The incident we read
today is all about the exaltation of Joshua into a position of power. It made
the fight so much easier.
The exalting of Joshua came only when they crossed the Jordan. If they had
not crossed the Jordan, no one would have feared them. One other point to
be made here is that Israel had a stigma. That is they carried around this
feeling of “We will always be slaves and weak.”
200
Don’t we get that way in our lives sometimes? We try to do better and end
up going nowhere. I’ve been there so many times; it depresses me to think
about it. We are faced with a problem and try to get around it versus
through it.
Now, there is a time when going around is the right path. Israel wandered
around the desert for many years. They went ‘round and ‘round going
nowhere quickly. They had a good reason to be depressed. God always
protected them from destruction. He provided everything they needed and
kept his promise to them.
There are so much depression and negativity in the Christian community

today. People are tired of the politics and ignore God’s choice. We prefer to
go around our problems because we see ourselves as too weak to go
through. Our culture looks at our limits, not God’s limitless power and
means.
Joshua could not have been the leader he was without a demonstration of
power. He would have been the same kind of leader the people had
experienced. This exaltation was not just for Joshua and the people. That
was important, but what we read is that nation around were so scared of
this power they never challenged Israel as they moved to Jericho.
We are challenged by everybody which is so important to us today because

we are seen as regular people. Christians, for the most part, are not held in
this regard today. When our leader has money and has demonstrated the
power of it, exaltation is tainted. We are tied to a person, not Jesus Christ.
When our exaltation is directly tied to Jesus Christ, it impacts the world
around us.
Exalting God to His position of the owner of our lives will bring our
exaltation to a high. The only way to do this is to exalt the one who gave it
to us in the first place. Are you trying to exalt yourself or God? God is
patient and will renew you whenever you exalt Him.
201
Y is for
Young
Thought for the day

Oh too remain youthful and young. Youth and wisdom don’t
always go together, but there is no age limit to what the Spirit
can enable.
202
Prayer
Dear God,
The power of youthful pride never goes away. It is this pride that
gets in the way of your blessings. Enable me to step aside and
stay young in Spirit, who never loses pace or energy.
In Jesus name,
Amen
203
Read Proverbs 29:1 - 17
Most of us do not like to get old. We love youth and want to stay young.
That is a big problem. If we stay young, we must stay immature, or so we
think. There is a time for fun and frolic, but maturity in a relationship is
where we too often find ourselves. Youth is great, but immaturity is not
fashionable. The “mature” adults are often the ones that demonstrate the
childish behavior today.
Proverbs is a great book to read. From the wisest man on earth, we can
learn so much. If we were to read Isaiah 3, we would discover God will
choose the young to lead the people. He chose an 8-year-old to be king.
Perhaps not our first choice in age, but his youth was not as naive as it was
innocent. His choice of advisors was the key. Godly advisors directed his
leadership and maturity in knowing how to move in God’s direction.
Remember David the young shepherd boy; another example of leadership

from experience with God. Having faced attacks from nature and then faced
with a giant everyone was scared of. Like Saul, the desperate king, David
was given the tools, which didn’t fit or made him less effective for the task.
We do the same many times. As older persons, we make fun of the

youthfulness of our generation. It is not that they know more than us in so
many technological ways. It’s because we are stuck in a rut and think that
our limited understanding is enough.
Youth is an exciting time to test how responsible we can be. Many fail the
responsibility test, because “we are just young.” It is a lame excuse, though
understandable in a day when discipline is on the decline.
If we were to read Isaiah 3 God said He would choose the youth to run the
nation because the current leaders were doing a terrible job. From a boy,
Samuel was chosen to represent the nation spiritually because of the
corruption and lack of discipline of Elis and his sons. God chose a young boy
for the job.
204
There are many examples of youth and leadership in the Bible. When we
take a longer look, we find that many of our heroes and writers of Bible
books didn’t fare well as adults. Samuel, David, Solomon, and others failed
as adult leaders. As youths they were dependent on their relationship with
God, as adults, they succumbed to their desires.
There have been several TV shows focused on the wisdom of very young
children. Their insights into problems can be very humorous. At the same
time, one of the youngest millionaires got there by making an app for a
phone.
The energy and creativity of youth seem to be endless, and their knowledge
based on simple insights. We need to rediscover the fountain of youth in
our spiritual lives. The youthful risks and energy we had, when we began a
relationship with Jesus Christ, needs to be rekindled.
The questions we used to ask may not have been answered, covered by a
few calluses trying to make our Christian life fit the mold of the elders. Like
Samuel, who heard God speaking to him but didn’t understand.
We need to make some personnel changes in our lives. Josiah, the boy king,
had to do this to restore the power of God to his nation. Making changes is
not always an easy choice for us. Choosing people who steer us in godly
directions and choices may make other power relationships less important.
God chose youth because of their sensitivity to listening. Why would God
choose you to be a leader?
205
Y is for
YOU
Thought for the day

You are the most important person in the world. Though we may
not say this aloud, it is true. Remember you are created for a
purpose.
206
Prayer
Dear God,
You are my strength and shield, my protector and promoter. Still,
I feel so powerless and unimportant. Empower my life so I can
sense how important I am to you.
In Jesus name,
Amen
207
You are important. We live in a world centered on me. Theologically this

goes opposite to the Bible’s teaching. If we are the center, we are in control
creating problems for our argument. The problem is when things go wrong
we blame the other person who didn’t do it right. It is never or rarely our
fault. We hate to take any responsibility unless of course we are caught red-
handed.
Does this mean that we are not important if we are not in the center, or in
control? Of course not! We do not have to look far to see that it is often
the small seemingly insignificant things that are the most important. There
is a secular or “other than Christian” teaching that you need to focus on
moving just one person at a time, not the whole. It is the same message we
teach in our churches. Jesus did the same when He was on earth, and God
did the same from the beginning. You are important.
Being God-centered means that God is in control. Jesus CEO was a popular
book a few years ago. While many people read it they got confused with the
idea of Jesus taught with the position. They made poor decisions based on
traditional secular business mantras, not a relationship with God. They were
more worried about their investment backers while saying that God was in
control. Do you see the problem here? The investors were running the
show, not God the CEO. Therefore the boss has to bow to the investor not
the power of God. It is easy to say the God is in control, but it is hard to live
it. It is easy to blame God for our problems when we are the problem.
You are important which is why salvation is for you. God sent His Son to die
for you, not the masses, and He doesn’t expect masses to join His group.
God’s plan is not for the world but YOU. Yes, God wants to save the whole
world, and there are no limitations for entry, other than acknowledging
your ability to achieve without Him. God gives YOU blessings because of His
relationship with YOU. God wants YOU to be secure and powerful in YOUR
life, but, we can’t experience that if we are in the center. We cannot have
that if we only give ten percent of who and what we are to Him, ten percent
to the Church, and eighty percent to ME.
208
We confuse the tithe principle because we focus on the object, not the
person. God is not interested in the few coins we give Him, or the prestige
He may get if we put Him in our brochure. He controls it all. He wants YOU!
ALL of YOU!
God is only interested in a 100% solution. He cleanses YOU 100% because

He cannot look at sin, not even one spot. He does it 100% of the time if we
confess our sin. He is faithful not to remember our sin or keep His blessing
from us. God loves YOU with 100% of His love ALL the time. God hates sin
100% of the time. That means that to have the power and the promises
YOU must give God EVERYTHING.
I, You, and Me when stated are often seen as arrogance. We are told not to
refer to ourselves or our accomplishments because we are not that good.
We are told not to refer to God having control because we shirk
responsibility. We are told to deny ourselves and follow Christ. To do that, I
have to make the decision. You must acknowledge that and commit to my
maturity. I must commit my relationship to Jesus Christ because He alone
knows who I am and my struggles.
The use of personal pronouns does not always mean we are arrogant. What
would happen to us if we referred to Jesus Christ more often than just OMG
or a quick prayer at meals? I don’t think it would take the focus off of our
desire to move forward, be more powerful, or achieve greater things.
I would, however, unveil a new understanding of our relationship with Jesus

Christ. We would give Him the glory, follow His directions closer, and be the
conduit of blessings and power to the world around us.
When Jesus told His followers to deny themselves and follow, most shrank
back and followed from a distance. The ones that obeyed faced death,
persecution, and extraordinary power. They changed the world as God
exalted them to leadership and influence.
Where are you today? Are you in the center or is God? Are you becoming
mature or staying immature in your relationship with God?
209
Z is for
Zero
Thought for the day

Zero is a powerful number. Though on a scale it is insignificant it
where we should be in a relationship with God.
210
Prayer
Dear God,
I want the power 100 percent of the time. I need to be at zero
regarding power. It is so hard to give you everything and me
nothing. Enable me to understand this powerful concept.
In Jesus name,
Amen
211
Read Ezekiel 7:1-16
Those out in the country will die in battle. Hunger and plague will destroy
those in the city.
16 All those who escape and are left alive will run to the mountains. They
will sound like doves of the valley when they cry over their sins.
As we get near the end of this series, zero hours has become nearer. We
don’t know what will happen at the moment, so zero hour is always here.
At the same time, the news from the media has us wondering if zero hour is
closer than we think.
Not long ago the end-time clock moved closer and then farther away from
zero hours. There are so many random shootings, the fallout from misfired
munitions, and just plain recklessness. We do not know when our zero
hours will be, but, we are zealous to live longer and fuller.
Volcanoes and floods from broken dams and mudslides demonstrate true
zero hours for those in their paths. Everything cherished is destroyed and
most times unrecoverable. Zero recovery of earthly possessions is what
zero is all about. Jesus said that we need to not worry about earthly
possessions as much as we should our spiritual rewards.
In our quest for power and image, we focus on possessions and their value.
Many people value their portfolio or precious metal inventory ignoring their
spiritual relationships. Secular values based on image not relationships.
I read a story awhile back about a man who wanted to impress a lady. He
borrowed money, extended his credit as far as it would go and won her
heart. After their wedding, she discovered that he couldn’t keep his end of
the bargain. He had run out of cash and credit leaving her to live a very
restricted life. The zero hour had come to their relationship.
When Satan went before God, he was permitted to take everything from
him, except his life. Zero is an absolute idea. There are no options to fall
back on or plan B. Zero implies cleanliness that is hard to find. To have zero
residues in something we need to use several different cleaners and even
then there would be some left.
212
We try and do that most of the time. Since God can only bless those who
are perfectly clean, or residue zero, we give to the poor. We think giving to
the poor will cleanse our life a bit. We stop other habits which will make
God look on us favorably. This sense of “right to blessing” through
appeasement only frustrates us.
Zero is about holiness and holy living. We must become zero and have God
as everything. An impossible task is an argument, which is true from a
strictly physical idea. If we think of Noah, zero hour was related to a
physical event 120 years later. If we follow Old Testament Israel, the end of
their nation seemed to be so close. Had God not promised not to destroy
them it would have happened already.
Zero is also what we should be. To be more like Jesus and more like God
while being less of me. There is no Zero of us because that would take our
personality and free will away. There is no Zero in time as we will live
forever. That is why we are so zealous about life.
Then he became a Zero. A man who could not find his way because of his
blindness. He went to a Church who wanted to kill him. But, becoming a
Zero meant that he had hope. He was dependent on God’s power.
Our Zero hour is coming. Are you ready for Zero hours? The day will come,
and it is important to put our priorities in their correct order. Remember
that when we relax and let God take control, it doesn’t make us less, it
makes us more powerful, more peaceful, and more effective in our daily
life.
When we feel unimportant, we are in the right position. Feeling important
is nice, and we all desire it. The closer to zero we are in our importance the
higher God becomes. Then we go from zero to power. Zero is the most
powerful number and goal to reach.
213
Z is for
Zealot
Thought for the day

Zeal is what every person has. It is what we are zealous for that is
most important. When we are zealous, we pour all of our energy
into success. When we fail, we are worn and empty.
214
Prayer
Dear God,
I have chased many rainbows and come up with nothing. I like
using my energy on success and not a failure. May I be more
zealous for a relationship with you, the key to my peace power
and confidence.
In Jesus name,
Amen
215
Read Numbers 25: 5 - 18

We do not know the future, but we are zealous to live longer and fuller. To
be zealous is not a bad thing. We are called to be zealous about our faith
and our relationship with God.
When we read this event in scripture, we find that the zealousness of one
priest kept Israel from being destroyed. He had murdered a couple in front
of the tent of worship. We might say this was righteous anger and
zealousness.
Israel as a nation had abused the right to worship and chosen other gods. As
Moses passed the message along, the people lined up. The priests had
tolerated this resulting in a lack of power for the nation. The zealousness of
one priest demonstrated that not all priests thought the same way.
The Old Testament has many stories about God’s zealousness to maintain
purity. In today’s culture, we face the same problem. Churches need people
to fund their programs and build larger buildings. Tolerance for other gods
is allowed to maintain membership. Then we complain that our religious
zealousness is not being rewarded.
In reality, our misdirected zealousness replaces our focus on spiritual our
power. Programs are great and meet the needs of a changing culture. At the
same time, we need leaders who will stand and stop the slide, which is what
happened to Israel over and over again.
Jesus chose Simon, a disciple of Jesus, was a named the zealot. All the
disciples believed that without Jesus they were nothing. There was hope
when they had a relationship with Jesus.
The key was they knew leaving what they were behind to follow meant
starting from nothing. Paul was zealous before he met Jesus on the road. He
was zealous, following his ideas and the ideals of his leaders. He was a high
achiever and had a great future. Even though he couldn’t find his way
because of his blindness, went to a Church who wanted to kill him, and was
dependent on God’s power, the zealousness did not change.
216
Zealousness is not wrong. In fact, being zealous about something is

important. We need it to keep our dreams alive. In more modern English we
may use the word “drive.” We have the drive to achieve and be successful.
Having been on the poor side of the street, I was driven to work to maintain
my responsibilities. I had family, bills, expenses, and without a drive to keep
going I would have given up, perhaps too stubborn at times. Being zealous
about religion did not give me much hope. I pursued what I thought was
God’s plan like the Apostle, but was left burned out and powerless.
All of our zealousness counts for nothing if it is not focused on the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. The only thing left is for God to burn all the empty zeal we
have and find the truth about our life. When this is done, our powerlessness
becomes confidence. The frustration and confusion are rewarded with
blessings we cannot imagine, including peace in times of stress.
Are you just zealous to more important in this life? The day will come, and
it is important to put our priorities in their correct order. Remember that
when we relax and let God take control, it doesn’t make us less zealous, it
makes us more powerful, more peaceful, more effective in our daily life.
As we end this series, I hope you have gained insights into who God is and
how He works. I hope that the scriptures read have given insight into the
power it has for correction and building up. 52 weeks may seem like a long
time, but there is so much more to experience as our relationship with
Jesus Christ becomes more important than those around us.
217
List of
Bible Readings
218
A is for Awesome Joel 2: 18-32

A is for Angry Deuteronomy 32:28 – 42
B is for Better James 1: 2-25
B is for Batter Mark 4:35 -41
C is for Cross Luke 14: 25 – 35
C is for Crutch Exodus 32: 1-20
D is for Death 1 Peter 4:1-19
D is for Desire Psalm 37: 1 – 24
E is for Everything Romans 12:1-21
E is for Energized Philippians 2: 12-18
F is for Foolish Ecclesiastes 10
F is for Friend 1 Samuel 18:1-10
G is for Gift Acts 8:26-40
G is for Goat Psalm 66
H is for Holy 1 Peter 1: 13 – 25
H is for Hard Ecclesiastes 9
I is for Inquisitive 1 John 4
219
I is for Insight Philippians 1:3-18

J is for Jesus Hebrews 9: 11 – 28
J is for Judas 2 Timothy 1: 3 – 17
K is for King Matthew 28:1 – 20
K is for Kin Mark 3:20- 35
L is for Lamb John 1: 29 - 42
L is for Light Isaiah 42: 1-17
M is for Memory 1 Peter 1:3-16
M is for Mind 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16
N is for New Colossians 3:1-16
N is for Night Jeremiah 16:10-20
O is for Open Acts 26: 1 - 18
O is for Other Proverbs 8
P is for Perfect Isaiah 25: 1 - 12
P is for Precious Psalm 119: 65 - 80
Q is for Quiet Psalm 107:23 – 43
Q is for Quaint Psalm 145
R is for Real Acts 17:16 - 31
220
R is for Reaction Psalm 119:161 – 176

S is for Salvation 2 Chronicles 6:22-42
S is for Security Ruth 4:1-12
T is for Truth John 18: 25 – 40
T is for Trunks Ezekiel 12:1 – 20
U is for Understanding Hebrews 4
U is for Umbilical Ezekiel 16:1 – 19
V is for Vessel Acts 9:1 - 19
V is for Vassal 2 Kings 17
W is for Worry Hebrews 13: 6 – 22
W is for Waiting Lamentation 3:22 – 36
X is for eXcited Romans 12
X is for eXalted Joshua 4: 1 - 16
Y is for Young Proverbs 29:1 - 17
Y is for You Jeremiah 7:1-15
Z is for Zero Ezekiel 7:1-16
Z is for Zealot Numbers 25: 5 - 18
221
Reflection
Thought for the day

Reflecting on what we input into our lives is important.
Answering reflective questions is the impetus to empowering our
222
The following pages have the reflective questions

from each meditation. Use them for personal
meditation or include others in your group or class
to share their insights into their relationship with
God.
223
A is for Awesome
Discussion Questions
1. What difficulties are coming to you that will overwhelm

you?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
2. What are you scared of changing because of your view of

God?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
3. How has God demonstrated His awesomeness in your

life recently?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
224
A is for Angry
1. What is your view of God like? Does it include angry?

Explain.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. Why do you think God has a right to be angry? Explain.

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3. How does our desire to be like Jesus affect our anger?

Explain.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
225
B is for Better
1. What do we do with our batter? (Explain your choices)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How does our relationship with Jesus determine what we do with our
batter?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What do we do when we feel battered in our life? (Explain your answer)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
226
B is for Better
1. How can we do better in our life? (Explain your answer)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How can I develop a better relationship with Jesus Christ?

(give some steps if you can)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What things could be do better without? (Explain your answer)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
227
C is for Cross
1. What CROSSroads have we been in? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How often have we come to a CROSSroad and chose to continue without

changing?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How have the CROSSroads in our life changed our relationship with Jesus
Christ?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
228
C is for Crutch
1. What are the most common crutches we use?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How can move from crutches to running the race? (Apostle Paul’s term)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What or who do I give credit to instead of Christ? (explain)

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
229
D is for Death
1. What do we focus our life on, health and wealth or dying to self to
live in Christ?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How is our death experience demonstrated in our life? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How is our new life in Christ empowering us?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
230
D is for Desire
1. Where is our struggle; trust, delight, commitment? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How do our desires match the relationship desires Jesus Christ wants?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How often do we challenge God to fill our desires before we trust Him?
(Explain your answer)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
231
E is for Everything
1. Where is our struggle; trust, delight, commitment? Explain.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How often do we make deals with God? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How often do we challenge God to fill our desires before we trust Him?
(Explain your answer)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
232
E is for Energized
1. What takes away our daily energy? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How and when do we feel energized? Explain.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How often do we focus on our personal interest and not the crucified
Christ? (Explain your answer)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
233
F is for Foolish
1. How often do we stop and see the spiritual battle that surrounds us?
Explain.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How does God choose to talk to us when we do things He does not

approve?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How often do we see only the problem and not God’s solution? (Explain)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
234
F is for Friend
1. Is Jesus just a friend? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How does our friendship with Jesus Christ affect our other friends?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How do the ideas of Lord and Friend affect change our understanding our
relationship with Jesus Christ? (Explain)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
235
G is for Gift
1. What gifts have you been given?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How focused are we on success where we are versus where we want to

be?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. Where is our confidence put when we desire to change?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
236
G is for Goat
1. How much goat do we have in our character?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How much like sheep do we desire?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What is our focus in life ourselves or the Shepherd?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
237
H is for Holy
1. What is our salvation message?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How often do we bring our relationship with Jesus Christ into our
conversation?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What distracts us from talking about the salvation message?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. What makes your Christ different than other messages?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
238
H is for Hard
1. What is creating the hardness in your life? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. What are we trying to conquer in our own strength? Explain.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. How interactive is our relationship with Jesus Christ?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
239
I is for Inquisitive
1. How has our inquisitiveness hindered or helped our spiritual life? Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Would you say you have a good knowledge of scripture? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. How does this knowledge affect our inquisitiveness? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
240
I is for Insight
1. What things have you learned from hindsight? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Would you say your end goal is to glorify Christ? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What hinders our insight? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
241
J is for Jesus
1. How does the blood of Jesus affect your sense of satisfaction? Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What decisions would you change if Christ was your Master all the time?
Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. On what are your desires based? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
242
J is for Judas
1. How does betrayal affect our spiritual life? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How does our openness with Jesus Christ affect our confidence in other
relationships? Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. How do benefits affect which relationships we trust? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
243
K is for King
1. How often do we choose to be king of our lives? Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How does our view of Jesus Christ affect our daily performance? Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. How would changing our view of Jesus Chirst affect our relationships?
Explain.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
244
K is for Kin
1. What rights do we have as kin?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How often do we want the power and the glory?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What changes would me make to gain the power Jesus told His
disciples they had?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
245
L is for Lamb
1. What keeps us from utilizing the power of the Lamb of God?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. How secure do we feel in our relationship with the Lamb from

eternal death?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. What changes would me make to gain the power of the blood of the
Lamb?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
246
L is for Light
1. Why don’t we like too much light in our life?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How secure do we feel when too much light shines in it?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What changes would me make to have the power of clean Jesus the Light
in our lives?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
247
M is for Memory
1. What memories would we like to forget because they keep us from

developing relationships?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How much do we DO to cover the memoires we don’t like?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What changes would my salvation experience better and my memories

more positive?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
248
M is for Mind
1. What would life be like without a free mind?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What influences our mind the most?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What changes would me make to have the mind of Christ?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
249
N is for New Life
1. What rules would we prefer to keep?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What expectations do we have for our new life in Christ?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What changes would I make to have the power Christ told His disciples
they had?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
250
N is for Night
1. What do you do when things go wrong in your life?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What do we need to take the fear out of the night? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What changes would I make our path brighter? Explain.

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
251
O is for Open
1. Who do we listen to for truth?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What is keeping us from God’s solutions in our life?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Why do we prefer compromise to truth?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
252
O is for Other
1. Why do we turn to others for wisdom?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What other things keep us from realizing the power of God?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What other changes do we need to make in our lives?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
253
P is for Perfect
1. Where do we run when we feel let down?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When we are controlled by another how do we feel?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What keeps you from accessing the power and confidence offered by
being perfect?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
254
P is for Precious
1. What is most precious in your life? Explain.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. How precious is scripture and your faith? Explain.

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. What would you have to do to change your values of what is precious?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
255
Q is for Quiet
1. Why is it often a struggle to be quiet? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What do we need to change in our lives to have time to be quiet before

the Lord? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How would more quiet time affect our confidence in our life storms?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
256
Q is for Quaint
1. How do we handle the negative emotions we hide? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What do we need to change in our lives to hear the voice of the Holy
Spirit? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How quaint are you becoming? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
257
R is for Real
1. How real is our Christian life? Give examples.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. What distracts us from the power God promised? Explain.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. How would more life-giving power change your life? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
258
R is for Reactions
1. How often do we overreact and how does it affect others? Give

examples.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What causes us to react the most positively? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What life changes would we need to make to have better reactions?

Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
259
S is for Salvation
1. How has salvation changed our life? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Why is Christ not central to our life? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What have you done with your salvation experience? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
260
S is for Security
1. How secure in your salvation? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What debts do we hold on to for security? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What limits our spiritual production? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
261
T is for Truth
1. What truths do we hold on to that are only half-truths? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. How often do we prefer the positive truth and not the negative? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How do you determine truth? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
262
T is for Trunks
1. What’s in our travel trunks that we need to throw out? Give examples.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Why do we keep hanging out with people who ignore what God wants?
Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What blessings would you expect if you made different choices? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
263
U is for Understanding
1. What keep us from understanding? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What misunderstandings are most common in our lives? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How can we listen better to understand what God wants for us? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
264
U is for Umbilical
1. How would sustain ourselves without an umbilical cord? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Is God’s sustenance enough for you? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How strong is your connection to God? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
265
V is for Vessel
1. What kind of vessel are you, useful or pretty? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Where have you felt the least useful? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How did our life’s struggles turn out useful? Explain.

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
266
V is for Vassal
1. Who are we paying for our blessings? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What benefits are we getting from our choice of master? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What choices should we make to enable our freedom of choice? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
267
W is for Worry
1. Why pray when we can worry? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When has prayer chased worry to the corner? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How does worry affect our life? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
268
W is for Wait
1. What do we do while waiting for answers to prayer? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think God takes so long to answer prayers? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How do you stay spiritually alert? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
269
X is for eXited
1. What has taken excitement out of your life? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When have you been the most excited and how did God play a part in it?
Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How can you gain the excitement and power back in your life? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
270
X is for eXalted
1. Are you trying to exalt yourself or God? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When has a lack of exaltation caused a problem? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How would God’s exaltation affect your life? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
271
Y is for Young
1. How sensitive are we to God’s voice? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What hinders our spiritual maturity? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Have we lost our youthful excitement in our spiritual life? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
272
Y is for You
1. How do you know you are in the center of God’s plan? Give examples.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When do personal pronouns - I, me, mine, my – become a problem?

Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Are you becoming mature or staying immature in your relationship with

God? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
273
Z is for Zero
1. How far from zero are we in our relationship with God? Give examples.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Are we ready for zero hour when Jesus returns for those who have
chosen Him? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What hinders us from getting to zero? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
274
Z is for Zealot
1. How zealous are we for the feeling of importance? Give examples.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. When have you been zealous and disappointed? Explain.

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. How does our zealousness for God change our decisions? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
275
More notes……
There is never enough space for

notes when God speaks.
Write longer answers, requests to

God, or random thoughts
generated by the meditations.
Even recording your prayers helps

to recall the answers and
blessings.
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285

Theology A-Z Devotion b5 3

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originalbeschreibung:

Originaltitel

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Theology A-Z Devotion b5 3

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Insights Into God

From A-Z you will find meditations about

Paul R. Friesen (DBS)

The author is truly God Himself. I would take credit, but

I was raised an MK in a Christian home. It wasn’t all fun

Be blessed form the reading. Reflect on the reading

power and His promises. Today, focus on how He demonstrates

His awesomeness through impossibilities.

deserved. You alone can turn my day in a new experience with

You through my impossibilities.

Thank you for participating in my day.

Read Joel 2: 18-32

Though we are in the image of God, we cannot match the AWESOMENESS of

Bring created in the image of God is an awesome blessing. We have the

Choosing to serve isn’t for everyone. Most people prefer to have an

balances the love which He demonstrates daily in our lives.

Through our failures we find mercy. We often forget that our

selfishness for glory angers You. I may never understand how

forget your anger is as strong as your love.

Read Deuteronomy 32:28 – 42

We always want to be better. We desire to have those pats on the

back to affirm us. We should strive to have a better relationship

with Jesus Christ. This one relationship is the source of our

balance and stability.

I desire to improve my relationship with You. At the same time, I

get distracted by my desires. Today I ask that my relationship with

You will move one step closer.

Read James 1: 2-25

God wants us to be better as disciples. Many people followed because of the

God wants us to move from followers to disciples so He can have a better

Last week I opened our professor's orientation with a devotional on the

We focus on healing, forgiveness, and wholeness, not brokenness. The key is

How we define better is very important. To be better than we are already is

relationship with God is in worn and tattered. God sees through

our coverings and seeks to renew our relationship.

renew my strength. Turn my battered soul into a strong sail,

moving me forward in a quiet sea.

Read Mark 4:35 -41

To give BALANCE to these, we need to focus on being a BLESSING to others.

tattoo in a variety of styles. The key to the cross is its center.

renew my strength. Turn my battered soul into a strong sail,

moving me forward in a quiet sea.

Read Luke 14: 25 – 35

When we came to the CROSS what did we expect?

relationship with God is in worn and tattered. God sees through

our coverings and seeks to renew our relationship.

renew my strength. Turn my battered soul into a strong sail,

moving me forward in a quiet sea.

Read Exodus 32: 1-20

Christ is never a crutch because He makes things happen, so we become

If we have an active relationship with Christ, we should throw away our

In this crutch, we find the dilemma of being a follower. We have no leader so

Many people demonstrate this by having a cross on a chain, t-shirt, etc. We

We need to build a foundation that is not only a bunch of stone of

We must die to self to truly experience a living relationship with

I love my self-image. I am worried what will happen when I die to

it. Help me to learn how to die to it so I can live with a greater

sense of peace, power, and confidence.

Read 1 Peter 4:1-19

From the beginning of Genesis, God demanded a focus on worship and

desires change with age and circumstance. God’s desire for us

never changes and what He gives us lasts forever.