Whom Have I in Heaven But You?

Spiritual Vitamin: "Wet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:23-26

Reflect: Read through this portion of scripture several times. How does the Psalmist describe God's nearness? How does He describe his attributes? What is most encouraging to you about this? 

Be free!

Spiritual Vitamin: "Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don't allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests." Philippians 2:3-4 (The Passion Bible)

Reflect: Read through this verse slowly and thoughtfully. What does this look like in your life? Ask God to review any pride, self-promotion and selfishness in your own life. 

Peace

Spiritual Vitamin: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

Reflect: Contrast Jesus' peace with the peace that comes from the world. What do you notice? Pray that God would give you a mega-dose of His peace to you this day. 

Safe

Spiritual Vitamin: "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:4-5

Reflect: Do you want to feel safe? I sure do. Re-read David's prayer to the Lord. What is the ONE thing that he asks? How do you think He was so confident that God would keep him safe? What words describe "safety?"

God Has Not Forgotten You

Spiritual Vitamin: "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" Psalm 77:9

Reflect: Sometimes, it feels like God has forgotten you. I often feel like this when I pray about something and wait and wait and don't get an answer. But, God has NOT forgotten us. As we engage daily in relationship with Him, please know He hears the cries of your heart. Tell Him exactly how You feel. Ask God for a greater faith and trust to believe Him! 

Slow to Anger

Spiritual Vitamin: "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11

Reflect: When do you find anger to be a "quick response?" Take a moment and think about that situation and picture in your mind what it would be like to be slow to anger. Practice being slow to anger with God's help. Ask God to show you an opportunity to overlook an offense this week. (Yes, that's right, be able to turn the other cheek when someone hurts or upsets you.) With God's help, we can do this!

This is the Day

Spiritual Vitamin: "This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Reflect: The Psalmist who wrote this Psalm had written it in a time where he was facing many challenging situations. The Psalmist called out to God in the challenges. In both the beginning and end of the Psalm, the Psalmist gave thanks. What challenges are you going through today? Can you still thank God for His goodness amidst the hard times?

Rest

Spiritual Vitamin: "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." Jeremiah 31:25

Reflect: Are you weary today? Will you allow yourself to take a break and be refreshed by God? He will gently and kindly bring refreshment and satisfaction. Will you rest today? 

I Know the Plans

Spiritual Vitamin: "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Reflect: What encouraging and promising words found in Jeremiah 20:11-13! God is the only One who knows our future and His plans for us are good and full of hope. That doesn't mean that we won't experience pain, suffering and hardship in life. Can you believe this beautiful promise, even amidst the challenges of your life? Praise God for being so faithful. Seek Him while He may be found.

Lifting My Eyes

 Spiritual Vitamin: "I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber." Psalm 121:1-3

Reflect: What did you learn from God in this text? We should never trust in a lesser power than God Himself. (Life Application Study Bible, NIV) What lesser powers do you tend to trust in? Pray that God would build your trust in Him alone.

God's Faithfulness

Spiritual Vitamin: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every moment; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-24

Reflect: What keeps us from being consumed? What never fails? God is always, always faithful. How do you need to see his faithfulness today?

Complaints

Spiritual Vitamin: Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice...Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:17:22

Reflect: Whom do you tend to complain to? Why do you complain? What would it be like if you give your complaints to God? Try it for the next 24 hours. 

Encouraging One Another

Spiritual Vitamin: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Reflect: Who doesn't need encouragement? Why not ask God to show you each day who and how you can encourage those in your midst? Watch Him do it! 

Brotherly Love

Spiritual Vitamin: "Let brotherly love continue." Hebrews 13:1

Reflect: There is no expiration date for loving people. We can give up on people way to soon! Whether it's their political views, their judgmental attitude and poor treatment of us, we can just get ugly with people when they get ugly with us. God calls us to a higher love! The word here is a Greek word coming from the word philadelphia, coming from the root philia. It refers to a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership. There should be plenty of this kind of love among believers and it should continue. (Enduring Word, Hebrews 13) How well are you demonstrating brotherly love? 

A Way of Humility

Spiritual Vitamin: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight." Romans 12:15-16

Reflect: How do you rejoice with those who rejoice? When is it hard for you to do that? What happens when you weep with those who weep? When we humble ourselves, we "count others more significant" than ourselves. We don't just look to our own needs, but the needs of others. By doing this, we emulate the Compassion of Christ. (Paul Tautges, A Small Book for the Hurting Heart, page 164) 

Bringing Refreshment to Others

Spiritual Vitamin: "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains." 2 Timothy 1:16

Reflect: The apostle Paul had such a great encourager in his life! The name Onesiphorus means "profit bringer." Onesiphorus was one of the faithful few who stood by fall during very difficult times. He often refreshed Paul. Onesiphorus didn't wait to find opportunities to serve, but sought them out. How can you become more like Onesiphorus? Who can you encourage today?

Steadfast in Prayer

Spiritual Vitamin: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

Reflect: There are times that I don't always know how to pray. There are times I pray, but I don't get the answer I want. There are times that I wait and wait for God to answer. There are times that God says "no." What would it look like if you continued steadfastly in prayer? What would it look like for you to be watchful in prayer? How would prayer and thanksgiving work for you? May God help you persevere in prayer, even when God doesn't answer the way you desire.  

Receiving Comfort

Spiritual Vitamin: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God' I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Reflect: Please read this verse over and over a few times very slowly. How do you receive comfort from this verse in this particular season of your life? 

His Pinions

Spiritual Vitamin: "He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler." Psalm 91:4

Reflect: A pion is the outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers. God is the described like a protective mother who feeds, nurtures and protects her young. There is safety and warmth found when we dwell in God. We can look for safety in our homes, with our spouse, in the right car, but there is nowhere safe place to be than in the arms of the Father. Take a moment and consider that You, right now, can find your total and complete safety and refuge in God. Allow that to give You peace and comfort. He is with You!

Jesus Sympathizes

Spiritual Vitamin: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15

Reflect: It's a beautiful thing to feel known, understood and heard. It's truly nice as well, when someone sympathizes with our current situation. Did you know that Jesus is the most loving, sympathetic, and compassionate person ever? You can tell Him ANYTHING! He has been tempted in every way, but without sin. Will You come to Him today? 

This is the Day!

Spiritual Vitamin: "This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Reflect: If you're reading this, you are alive! God has given you a new day to live! There are some days, we wake up "on the wrong side of the bed." But be assured, God has given us hope to live, rejoice and be grateful for life itself. Will you stop and give God praise for life itself?

Perfect Love and Fear

 Spiritual Vitamin: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

Reflect: Fear involves torment. Most of us have experienced what "fear" feels like in our lives. Fear makes us live on edge. Fear makes us anxious. Fear paralyzes our today with worries about tomorrow. With God's steadfast love, we have no need to fear anything. What do you fear today? Will you give God all your fears right now?

The Lord is Near

Spiritual Vitamin: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Reflect: How do you respond to painful news? It's so easy to become disillusioned by the challenges that come to us. But, we must remember, we are never alone. God is always near. Why don't we go to Him? Will you give God those things that break your heart or crush your spirit? He is near and wants to walk with you through your pain. 

Love

Spiritual Vitamin: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Loves does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Reflect: God's love is directed toward loving others. This kind of love is not natural. It is utterly unselfish. (Life Application Study Bible, NIV, Zondervan) Take each of these words. Patient. Kind. Not envy. Not boasting. Not proud. Not rude. Not self-seeking, etc. Which character traits are difficult for you? Ask God to help you love like He loves. 

Refuge

 Spiritual Vitamin: "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8

Reflect: What do you tend to trust in outside of God? What do you try to make your refuge? A refuge is a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble. Will you make God your refuge today? "Trust in Him at all times, __________." (Place your name)

God has not Rejected My Prayer

Spiritual Vitamin: "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me." Psalm 66:20

Reflect: Have you ever wanted to give up on prayer? Often, we want to give up on prayer when we don't get the answer we want! I remember spending 30 years praying regularly for a spouse and children. After 30 years, God said "yes" to a husband, but "no" to children. Prayer is about a relationship. When we understand the joy of having an unbroken relationship with God, we can pray with perseverance and hope, but we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will answer in what is best for me. Go ahead and pray, asking for what You desire for God to do. Trust Him fully for his best for you.

Humble Yourselves

Spiritual Vitamin: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time, he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

Reflect: Our anxieties arise because of our failure to recognize our weakness and utter dependence on God. Note how you feel, what you're thinking, what's going on when the anxiety occurs. Peter, in this text is connecting humility with dealing with our anxieties. How, you say? We need God's divine grace to help us combat the pride in our hearts that say "I can do this or that!" When we humble ourselves, we realize our absolute need for God for everything. We're not in control. God is! Meditate on this passage (1 Peter 5:6-7) and pray for it to be true in your life. 

Grief

Spiritual Vitamin: "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Reflect: Loss and grief are unique to each person. We can feel sad, numb, in shock, confused, angry and more! No matter how you experience grief, Jesus is there. He is present. We do not grieve alone. We have hope! Will you give your grief and sadness to God today? He will help you. 

In My Distress

Spiritual Vitamin: "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears." 2 Samuel 22:7

Reflect: David was in a bunch of high stress situations in his life and he learned to give over his concerns and fears to God. Distress is defined as a "state of being in serious trouble, which includes mental strain or stress." For David, calling on You became a habit. How confident are you that God hears you when you call out to him? Tell God what's on your heart. He will listen!

Waiting

Spiritual Vitamin: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

Reflect: Waiting is never easy! What is hard for you about waiting? Whether it's waiting in a long line, waiting for a cure, waiting for something to change, waiting is never easy. Yet God is always good and uses waiting to refresh, renew and teach us if we would only listen. What are you waiting for? Take a moment and ask God to give you a humble, teachable heart as you wait on Him.