Spiritual Vitamin: "I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:7-8
Reflect:What does the Psalmist do in this Psalm? What does God provide? Will you practice praising the Lord who counsels you? Will you set the LORD always before you? Will you trust that He is always at your right hand and you never have to be shaken?
Spiritual Vitamin: Surely, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2.
Reflect: The worshipper is excited about what God has done in his life and invites all to behold the work of the Lord. (Enduring Word Commentary) The worshipper had a peace and security from knowing that God was his salvation. It is hard to trust and not be afraid if things depended on us. But when God is our salvation, we can truly trust and not be afraid. (Enduring Word Commentary) Will You trust the Lord today?
Spiritual Vitamin: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:17-18
Reflect: God truly is patient with his people. The God who called Israel to be his people still looks out for them. He wants only the best for His people. He is saddened to see the suffering brought on by disobedience. He is pleased that they are about to leave Babylon and return to their land. What is God's promise in these verses? What would it look like for you to experience peace like a river?
Spiritual Vitamin: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Finally, all of you, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8
Reflect: Look at the key words in these scriptures: Kind. Compassionate. Forgiving. Sympathetic. Loving one another. Compassionate. Humble. Pray for each of these godly traits to be a part of who you are. Pray for more compassion. Look for ways to be a compassionate person today.
Spiritual Vitamin: "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke 18:27
Reflect: What seems impossible to you today? What could God possibly do in this situation that only God could do? Write down 3-5 requests that come to your mind where you desperately need God to do a miracle. Will you trust Him to do what only He can?
Spiritual Vitamin: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28)
Reflect: What keeps you from coming to God? Often times, we put everything else in our lives ahead of God. But, on this Sabbath, Jesus invites you to come to him. Give him your weariness and burdens. He promises to give you rest.
Spiritual Vitamin: ""For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." (1 John 4:12)
Reflect: Read and meditate on these two verses. If God loves you so much that He would allow His son to go to the cross on your behalf, what keeps you from Him? If God loves us this much, we are called to love one another. Here's a challenge to go out and love others well. Love those who love you. Love those who are indifferent towards you. Love your enemies. Love those that are less fortunate. Love others with God's love.
Spiritual Vitamin: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Reflect: What worries you today? What are those things that keep you up at night? Take the next few weeks and practice giving your worries to God. Every time a worry comes into your mind, pray! May you enjoy God's peace that transcends all understanding!
Spiritual Vitamin: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4
Reflect: What keeps a person in perfect peace? One whose mind is stayed on God? How do YOU keep your mind on God? This is a great verse to write down on a 3x5 card and carry with you. Use it as a prayer. Memorize it. May you enjoy God's perfect peace.
Spiritual Vitamin: "And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10
Reflect: When it all comes down to it, what keeps you from trusting God for every aspect of your life? Pray that God will help you know His character and faithfulness and respond with trust for your provision, well-being and guidance. He is faithful!
Spiritual Vitamin: "The Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works." Psalm 145:9 "No one is good but One, that is, God." Mark 10:18 "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13
Reflect: The Bible repeatedly describes "goodness" as a quality of our Lord. Consider the verses above. Do you believe that God is good? What keeps you from believing "God is good all the time; All the time God is good."
Spiritual Vitamin: "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19
Reflect: Do you believe God can do a new thing in your life? Do you see the endless possibilities and opportunities available to you? Will you trust that God wants to walk with you through every moment that you're alive. He is the God of "new things!" What new thing do you want to see God do in your life?
Spiritual Vitamin:"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker." Psalm 95:6. "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere." Psalm 84:10
Reflect: Today is the Sabbath. The root word of Sabbath literally means "to stop, to cease or to rest." What keeps you from worshiping God? What hinders you from enjoying the gift of Sabbath? Take this day and allow God to breathe life into your weary soul. Slow down. Remember the beauty of God's presence.
Spiritual Vitamin: "I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." Malachi 3:6
Reflect:God is and will always be faithful through time and eternity.He is an immutable God, who is unchanging and unchangeable. He will never go back on His word. His promises are true. The Lord does not change in His love or His choice towards us. With everything changing around us, how does that make you feel?
Spiritual Vitamin: "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Reflect: What do you think of when you hear the words "because of them?" It could be because of an illness that is dragging on, a work situation, family strife, financial woes or deep sorrow. What is your "because of them?" Will you take your fears, one by one, to the God who is with you, will never leave you or forsake you?
Spiritual Vitamin: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22
Reflect: Carrying our own burdens wear us down. It's like carrying a big trash bag on your shoulders ALL the time! Make it your practice to learn to roll your burdens onto God. He will sustain you. Your burden is lightened by the fact of God's constant companionship. Practice today giving ALL your burdens to God, EACH time you start thinking about it. God is willing to carry them! You ar enot alone!
Spiritual Vitamin: "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress and for his children it will be a refuge." Proverbs 14:26
Reflect:What does it mean to fear the Lord? Fearing the Lord means we love God and obey Him every day. We fear God, not man. We learn to trust in His strength, not our own. We learn to find our source of confidence in Him as we walk in the uncertainties of life. Will you learn to fear the Lord?
Spiritual Vitamin: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." Isaiah 43:2
Reflect: Deep waters, Fire. Rivers. Floods overwhelm. Fires consume. But no matter what, we can be sure that God is with us. He is for us. Who can be against us? Lean into God today. You don't have to panic. We don't have to fear. Trust God. He can strengthen us IN our trials so much that we can walk through the fire.
Spiritual Vitamin: "The mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45
Reflect: It is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. Your words reveal what your heart is all about. Take some time today before God. Get honest with yourself instead of pointing the finger at someone else. Do you realize that the things you say and how you say them expose the condition and attitudes of your heart? Pray and ask God to help you with your words and your heart.
Spiritual Vitamin: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3)
Reflect: The word "blessed" here is interpreted as an emphatic "Wow! The blessedness of" or "Wow! The happiness of" the person who is being discussed. (Psalm 1:1-3 Devotion and Bible study) the person who avoids living life like those who do not know God, avoids standing by and observing those who break His heart with their actions, and avoids sitting among those who are negative and hateful, truly is blessed.(Psalm 1:1-3, Devotion and Bible Study)
Do you fully experience a state of blessedness when you follow after God's design for your life? Do you treat God's Word as important in your life? May you experience this state of blessing!
Spiritual Vitamin: "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you; which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men, in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. "Psalm 31:19-20
Reflect: In this Psalm David was in a time of distress. David depended on the goodness of God to see Him through. David's faith is tested at times by the intensity of his suffering. He was attacked by so many enemies and had more troubles than you and I would know. Yet, he found security in the secret place of God's presence. (Enduring Word Commentary)
There is comfort and strength found in God's presence. How do you need His comfort today? His strength? Be present with God and invite Him into your challenges.
Spiritual Vitamin:"Jesus is saying to each of us today(to you), "I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)- Not polite disappointment, rolling eyes, a pep-talk, or another chance. Let's rest, dear friends, let's rest in Jesus." Scotty Smith
Reflect: Read Matthew 11:28-30 in the Bible. Ponder what it means to rest. What does rest look like to you? What does resting in Jesus look like?
Jesus is inviting you to yoke with Him and do life with Him, because He is gentle and humble. He is worthy of a follow, more than anyone on twitter! Rest in Him.
Spiritual Vitamin: Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." John 15:4
Reflect: The word "abide" (meno') means "to stay, abide, remain, wait." "One of the Hebrew translations would have them to "cleave, follow close, join together as if glued." A vine is connected to the branch in a symbiotic relationship. Without the branch, the fruit cannot be born.(Devotableapp.com, John 15:4 Abide in Me)
What does it look like to abide in Jesus? What does it look like throughout your day? And what happens if you don't abide?
For me personally, to abide is to continually live my life with Jesus. An honest open dialogue. Confession. Gratitude. Listening. Learning. Asking. Just loving Jesus and living with Him each day. May you abide with Jesus today and in the days ahead.
Spiritual Vitamin: "I have seen the Lord." John 20:18
Reflect: Mary Magdalene is weeping as she sees the empty grave. But it isn't empty. On either end of the bench, where she'd seen them lay the body of Christ, are two white robed angels.
"Why do you cry?" one asks. "Because they've taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they put him." Mary sees a gardener and asks Him where Jesus might be. All at once she hears the word "Mary." It was Jesus! Jesus tells her to go and find his brothers and tell them that He will ascend to His Father and your Father." (Tricia McCary Rhodes, Contemplating the Cross, page 184-185)
Soon, Mary begins to share the news "I have seen the Lord" with the other disciples. Can you imagine what those interchanges would have been like? What must have Mary felt like when she heard Jesus' voice say her name?
Remember today, that God speaks your name as well. Give him your fears, your disappointments and grief. He is listening. Listen. He speaks your name.
Spiritual Vitamin: "Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, ws not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finer here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." John 20:24-27
Reflection: We've all heard of the phrase "Doubting Thomas." But, what if you were in Thomas's shoes? Wouldn't you have had some doubts? We read that Thomas believed and recognized that Jesus was who He said He was.
Jesus didn't rebuke Thomas. He did't humiliate him for his doubt. Jesus wanted to show him.
What doubts do you have with your faith? Where are you skeptical? Come to God with your questions and doubts. Christ is willing to walk with you in your struggle with faith.
Spiritual Vitamin: "The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you.'" Matthew 28:5-7
Reflect: The angel knew exactly what the women were feeling at that moment. Sorry. Grief. Confusion. Uncertainty. Jesus also told them not to be afraid. Mary Magdalene and Mary with great joy gave witness to the risen Christ. They didn't let their fears get in the way of spreading the greatest story ever told.
What do you fear today? How are your fears hindering you from all that God has for you?
Spiritual Vitamin: "I have seen the Lord." John 20:18
Reflect: Read or sing the words to the hymn below. Worship God for his faithfulness in the resurrection:
Crown Him with many crowns; The Lamp upon His throne: Hark: how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own! Awake my soul, and sing. Of Him who died for thee, and hail Him as thy matchless King thru all eternity.
Crown Him the Lord of love: behold his hands and side-Rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified; No angel in the sky, can fully bear that sight, but downward bends his wond'ring eye at mysteries so bright.
Crown Him the Lord of life; who triumphed o'er the grave. Who rose victorious to the strife for those He came to save. His glories now we sing; who died and rose on high, Who died eternal life to bring and lives that death may die.
Crown Him the Lord of heav'n; One with the Father known, One with the Spirit thru Him giv'n from yonder glorious throne. To Thee be endless praise, for thou for us hast died. Be Thou, O Lord, thru endless days adored and magnified. (Crown Him With Many Crowns, Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring)
Spiritual Vitamin: "And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Luke 23:46
Reflect: "Can you imagine what it must have felt like to hear Jesus shot these final words? Consider the strength He felt, the complete sense of control He had over His own destiny. Even at the conclusion of such terrible suffering-even while His body shrieks with pain, He cries out with strength and power. Consider the joy He must have felt as He offered His spirit back tot he Father from whence He came. What an incredible reunion they must have had. Rejoice with the living God at this moment of victory." Tricia McCary Rhodes, Contemplating the Cross, page, 154-155)
Spiritual Vitamin: "When the true meaning of the Crucifixion dawns upon us, then the whole sordid, bloody, painful death shall make us tremble before its glory." Ben M. Herbster
Reflect: Read the following words of Thomas a Kempis. Reflect on them in your own life: "Jesus hath now many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross. Many He hath that are desirous of consolation, but few of tribulation. Many He findeth that share His table, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to endure any thing for Him. Many follow Jesus unto the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of His passion. Many reverence his miracles, few follow the shame of His Cross. (The Imitation of Christ)
Spiritual Vitamin: "And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, that you yourself, before a cock crows twice, shall three times deny me." Mark 14:30
Reflect: Place yourself in the courtyard that night. See yourself being asked about your relationship to Christ. How woul dit feel to deny Him, as Peter did? Do you at times deny Him by your life? Your words or lack of words? Write a prayer of response." (Tricia McCary Rhodes, Contemplating the Cross, pg. 60)
