This is The Day
BY KELLY WILLIAMS

Scripture references marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  Scripture references marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.  Scripture references marked NIV are taken from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.INTRODUCTION
	This devotional guide will serve many purposes.  It is designed to point the way to Jesus Christ for those who do not know Him personally.  It was also written to challenge us as believers in Christ to walk more intimately with Him and to apply His Word to our lives on a daily basis.  I have been blessed and have learned so much as I have studied for and written this book.  I pray that you will be blessed by it as well.
It is my prayer that you, the reader, will come to a deeper understanding of who God is and how much He loves you.  If you already know Jesus Christ, I pray that this book will bring you closer to Him, and help you to know Him more, as it did for me.
If you do not know Jesus, I pray that this book will show you why you would want to know Him.  Why would I, you ask?  You will find out as you read this book, but I will give you some reasons now.  He loves you much more than anyone else loves you.  He made you, He chose you, He died for you, He thinks good thoughts about you.  He has been waiting for you and knocking on your heart’s door for a long time.  I challenge you to push aside any doubts that you may have about Him or fears that you will not be accepted by Him.  Come to Jesus and tell him about your fears, your doubts, your weaknesses, your hurts, everything.  As you turn these pages, open the door of your heart and let Him come in.  When you make Him Lord of your life, you will be amazed as He saves you and changes your life forever.
Special Thanks
	First and foremost, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my best friend.  He inspired everything that is written in this book.  To Him be all the glory, forever and ever, Amen.
I am so thankful to God for my family.  Their encouragement and support in every aspect of my life and my ministry is greatly appreciated.  My father, Russell Williams, taught me to love music and encouraged me to use my God-given gift to sing.  My mother, Terry Schreckengost, taught me Scripture from my childhood.  I would not be where I am today without her God-given wisdom and guidance.  She is also my accountant and my transportation to wherever the Lord leads me to minister, which  I am very grateful for.  My stepfather, Butch Schreckengost, encouraged the writing of this book even before he read it.  He has been a great help to me and I am thankful to God for him.  As Aaron and Hur raised Moses’ hands so that the Israelites could win the battle, so have my sisters, Ronda Figley and Carri Goodwin done for me.  Their help and prayer support is very needed and very appreciated.
I also thank Sandy Hargrove for inspiring me to write this book.  She has been a constant support and encouragement, and I thank God for her as well.
January 1
  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  (Ps 118:24, KJV.)
	I have two choices in this new day that God has given me.  I can either stay in bed and complain about facing the day ahead, or I can get up, rejoicing in expectation of what great things God has in store for me today!  Lord, how can I be a blessing to the people you will put in my path? Help me to use every opportunity that You give me, whether good or bad, for your glory.

January 2
  This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.  (Dt 30:19, NIV.)
	When someone says something negative about me, how do I react?  Do I say something negative about them in return and then dwell on that negativity throughout the day?  No!  I choose to speak words of life, not death, and ask God’s blessing for the person.  Then, I am able to fully enjoy the abundant life that Jesus has given me.

January 3
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  (Lam 3:22-23, KJV.)
Did you ever wake up in the morning feeling horrible because of something that you did wrong yesterday?  No matter what awful thing I did yesterday, I awake every morning to my Lord saying to me, “My Child, I love you, and you are forgiven.  This is a new day; rejoice in knowing that my mercy is also new.”  I am also thankful for his faithfulness.  I have nothing to worry about because I know that He is always faithful.  He has never let me down, and He will continue to take perfect care of me.

January 4
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  (Ps 59:16, KJV.)
	I have so many reasons to sing.  I am so thankful for God’s new mercy every morning.  I can choose not to be self-defensive when faced with opposition because God is my defense and my refuge.

January 5
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD’S right hand has done mighty things!  (Ps 118:15, NIV.)
The word “resound” means to become filled with sound.  Our hearts should be filled with the sound of joy and victory instead of the sound of sorrow and defeat. We can praise the Lord, not only because He has done great things, but also because He will continue to do great things in and through us.

January 6
  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  (Phil 4:4, NIV.)
	Yes, it is possible to rejoice in the Lord always.  We do go through hard times, but we can be joyful in the Lord, knowing that He will bring us through them.  This does not mean that we have to appear happy at all times. Our source of joy is a continual inner happiness that comes only from the Lord.

January 7
  And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.  (Dt 26:11, NIV.)
	I can rejoice because there is so much more good in my life than bad. It helps to know that the good things in my life do not come through me. They have all COME directly from THE hand of the Lord.

January 8
  So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.  (John 16:22, NIV.)
Joy is so easily confused with happiness.  Happiness is a pleasurable or satisfying experience.  However, joy is a state of happiness.  Regardless of the circumstances we face, we can have joy, and the joy that we have, no one can take from us because the source of it is found in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

January 9
  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  (Hab 3:17-18, NIV.)
	Let us put this Scripture in today’s terminology.  I just got fired from my job, I am deathly sick, I have no money, no food, no friends.  However, I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will be joyful in God, my Savior.

January 10
  The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.  (Isa 51:11, NIV.)
	How can we be joyful in times of sorrow and sighing?  We can because of what the Lord has done for us. We are the ransomed of the Lord.  He has set us free, redeemed us and is with us always!  Sorrow and sighing are for a season, but since we serve the God who was, who is and who is to come, joy and gladness are forever.

January 11
  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  (Ps 34:18, NIV.)
	Are you brokenhearted?  Are you crushed in Spirit?  Rejoice, for the Lord is with you, and will help you.  Sometimes it takes getting down to the lowest point for us to realize that we need Him to be our all in all.  When we realize that, He will lift us up to the highest point.

January 12
  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.  (Ps 30:5, NIV.)
	I am so glad that our God is not always angry.  His favor lasts a lifetime for His children.  No matter how long “the night” seems, it will pass into morning.  The season of weeping will pass, and we will come into a time of rejoicing.

January 13
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  (Neh 8:10, NIV.)
I can rejoice in the Lord because I know that He will give me the strength I need in every situation.  It is so good to know that joy and strength come from Jesus Christ, and that they are always available for His children.

January 14
  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  (Phil 4:13, NIV.)
	Who is He that gives me strength?  Is it me?  No, it is Jesus Christ who gives me strength.  I can be joyful no matter what I might face because when I am weak, He is strong.  There is no limit to what I can do when God is strengthening me.

January 15
  It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.  (Ps 18:32, NIV.)
	I graduated from college with honors.  When asked how I was able to accomplish it, this verse was my response.  Whenever I achieve a new height that seemed impossible to reach, I will give credit where credit is due, and thank God.  He was the source of my strength in college, and He will continue to be throughout the rest of my life.

January 16
  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."  (Matt 7:26-27, NIV.)
	I love to go to the beach and be tossed around by the waves.  sand is not solid, which makes standing very difficult for me, since I do not have good balance even on solid ground.  I am so glad, however, that I have not built my life on sinking sand.  If I did not know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I would never be able to stand strong.  The storms of life can be rough at times, but I can stand strong because I am standing on the solid Rock, Jesus Christ.

January 17
  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  (Matt 7:24-25, NIV.)
	In the same way, if I have built my hope on Jesus Christ, our solid Rock, disappointments and trials may come, people may pass me by, sickness may arise, but I will not be moved.  I will not fall because I have a firm foundation.  The house built by the wise man stood strong and unmoved and so will I, since my hope is built on the rock of my salvation, Jesus Christ.

January 18
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.  (Ps 127:1, NIV.)
	When I face a difficult situation, sometimes I worry that it will not work out right.  Then, I try to figure out what I can do to make the situation better, to make me stop worrying.  I am reminded time after time that if I will let the Lord have His way, I will not be laboring in vain, and things will work out much better than even I could plan.

January 19
 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.  (Zech 4:6, NIV.)
Lord, sometimes you give me things to do that I do not think I can handle.  Help me to remember that it is not by my power or my might that I can do these things.  I can do them only by your Holy Spirit that lives within me.

January 20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  (Eph 3:20-21, NIV.)
	When I am weak, God is strong.  When I feel defeated, He is victorious. When I am unable, He is able.  Not only is He able to do what we ask Him to do, but He is able to do much more!  Those are some good reasons for me to give all of the glory to God.

January 21
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  (John 15:5, NIV.)
	Do you ever feel as though nothing you try to accomplish works out right?  Jesus knew that we would not be able to handle everything on our own.  That is why He told us to remain in Him. To remain is to stay in the same place or with the same person or group, or to continue unchanged.  To remain in Christ is to stay in unchanging, constant fellowship with Him.  When we let Him be the vine and ourselves be the branches, there is no limit to the fruit we will produce.

January 22
  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  (Gal 5:22-23, NIV.)
	Do you ever examine this list as I have done and become frustrated because you do not think you possess these characteristics?  You want to live a life pleasing to God and full of the fruit of the Spirit, but you are not loving, joyful, etc.?  You may not be loving or joyful, but God is, and He has put His Holy Spirit within you.  As you grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will begin to see the fruit of the Spirit develop in your life.  The next time you examine this list and do not see those qualities in yourself, remember that it is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of you.

January 23
  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  (2 Pet 1:5-7, NIV.)
	In order to have all of the qualities listed in this passage, we must first have faith. As our faith in God increases, those other characteristics will follow because we will become more like the God who, in Himself, is all of those things.

January 24
  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given.  (Rom 5:3-5, NIV.)
	Here is yet another list of characteristics that are a part of every believer’s spiritual make-up.  When we suffer, we learn perseverance, which produces a Christ-like character.  Then, we have hope in the only thing that matters, in Jesus Christ Himself.  That hope will never disappoint us because it will always be with us, since the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

January 25
  "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.  (Matt 10:24-25, NIV.)
	Young children generally pattern their lifestyles after that of their parents.  they do what they see their parents doing with energetic, enthusiastic eagerness.  We should respond in the same way to our heavenly Father.  We should follow Jesus’ example and do only what we see our Father doing, and be like Him.

January 26
  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.  (Eph 5:1, NIV.)
	People in the world choose not to live for Christ because of the hypocrisy they see in people who are supposed to be Christians.  However, even Christian people are human.  We all make mistakes.  Jesus died for all of our sins, knowing that we would not be perfect.  Keeping this scripture in mind, let us not be so worried about what others are doing or how they are living.  Let us follow God as dear children and let Jesus be our example instead of other people.

January 27
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  (2 Cor 4:7, NIV.)
	God does not see the pathetic weakling that I see in myself.  He sees a treasure that He has made.  He is the potter.  I am the clay.  Knowing that, I want only to be the person that He sees when He looks at me.  If I am not, I want to be changed into that person.

January 28
 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.  (Jer 18:6, NIV.)
	I very much enjoy working with clay and sculpting. Clay does not get up and move around while I am trying to work with it.  It stays where I put it and lets me do with it what I please.  Lord, help me to be like a piece of clay in your hands.  Help me not to try to form myself or figure things out on my own, but simply to be still wherever you put me and let you mold me into what you want me to be.

January 29
  This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.  (Isa 30:15, NIV.)
	So often, I get caught up in the busyness of my life and trying to take care of everything on my own that I forget where my real source of strength lies.  If I would let God’s rest, repentance, quietness and trust be my salvation and strength, my problems would not be problems, but opportunities for God to work through me and be glorified in every part of my life.

January 30
  for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.  (Heb 4:10, NIV.)
	Just as God rested on the seventh day from creating the heaven and the Earth, we must also take time to rest from our work.  I have noticed that if I do not take time to rest, I become sick, therefore making me slow down and rest.  Only if we rest in God’s presence can we stand secure in the world around us.

January 31
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  (1 Pet 5:7, NIV.)
	One of the most valuable lessons I am learning in my Christian life is to cast my cares and anxieties on the Lord.  It is so good to have someone to talk to about everything.  Not only does He listen, but he cares so much about me and what I am going through.  Cast all your anxieties on Jesus, because He cares for you, too.


February 1
  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  (Matt 11:28, NIV.)
	I never have to stay weary and burdened.  The Lord has told me in His Word that I can come to Him and He will give me rest.  I come to Him and find all of my burdens lifted and my weariness gone.

February 2
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (Matt 11:29, NIV.)
	What does it mean to take His yoke upon you?  It means to lay yours at His feet, to realize that He is not a God that will condemn or burden you.  You will find that He is meek and lowly.  He will take away your burdens and give you rest.

February 3
  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  (Matt 11:30, NIV.)
	I am so glad that all of the burdens that I carry are not mine, but the Lord’s.  When I am weary, He gives me rest.  The more I learn of Him and take on His yoke, the less burdened I will be.


February 4
  "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  (Ps 46:10, NIV.)
Sometimes when I ask the Lord for direction, He does not say Yes or No, but simply to “Be still and know that I am God.”  Being still is admittedly not in my nature, but I have learned that God knows better than I do what I should do and when I should do it.  I will not try to help God out, or act before He wants me to.  I will be still, and know that He is God, and see Him be exalted in my life.

February 5
  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  (Ps 37:7, NIV.)
	Patience is one of those characteristics that do not come naturally for me.  However, I have confidence in the Lord, and know that He will do what He says He will do, if I will be still and wait patiently for Him.  I have no need to worry about the wickedness of the world because I know that God will have His way with the world as well as with me.

February 6
  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  (Isa 40:31, KJV.)
	One of the greatest lessons I have learned and am still learning in my walk with the Lord is to wait on Him.  When He does not give me a direct answer, I do not interpret that to mean that He chooses not to hear my prayers.  He is merely beckoning me to wait on Him.  To wait on the Lord is not to completely stop doing everything.  It is to keep doing what He has already called you to do, to seek His guidance in the thing that you are waiting for and to be assured that He will meet your every need and give you the direction that you are asking Him for.

February 7
  Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  (Ps 27:14, NIV.)
	The Lord does not always answer our prayers immediately after we ask for things.  When the waiting becomes difficult, we can stand strong, knowing that the Lord’s Word and His promises are true.  If we wait patiently for Him, He will answer us, and in the meantime, will bring us closer to Himself.

February 8
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.  (Ps 40:1, NIV.)
	If we want the Lord to hear our prayers and answer them, the key is to wait patiently for Him.  As we wait for Him and seek His face, we will pray according to His will.  Even if we have to wait for a long time, He is faithful and we know that He will answer our prayers.

February 9
  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  (1 Chron 29:11, NIV.)
Let us step back from our activities today and take a moment to remember what our purpose is.  We are here to know, love and serve the living God.  Everything that we have and all that we are comes from Him.  Let us keep the Lord at the center of our lives today, and acknowledge that He is above all and that everything is His.

February 10
  "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.  (John 9:3, NIV.)
	When asked why the man was blind since birth and if he or his parents’ sin was the cause, this verse was Jesus’ response.  I, too, have been blind since birth.  There could be many speculations as to the cause of my blindness.  I believe that the real reason is so that God’s glory will be shown through me.  When most people think of blindness, they think of limitation.  I do not see myself as being limited, since I have given what I have (and not focused on what I do not have) for God’s glory.  In what ways do you feel you are limited?  Give those “limitations” to God and watch as He is glorified through them.

February 11
  To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.  (John 3:27, NIV.)
	Everything that we receive comes from the Lord, and not ourselves.  He is the Creator of heaven and Earth, and everything that He has made is good.  Although we do not understand it, even the bad things that happen to us work out for our good.

February 12
  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’  (Acts 17:28, NIV.)
Lord, I am so thankful for the ability to live and to move.  I know it comes directly from You.  Let every move I make be guided by Your hand.  Help me to be dead to sin so that I can live in You.

February 13
  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.  (Ps 150:6, NIV.)
	Are you complaining because you wanted to sleep in longer this morning?  Are you wondering what you should do today? God has given you life and breath.  One thing you can do is to praise the Lord as David says in this verse.  As we praise Him with the breath that He has given us, we will find many reasons to rejoice.  Everything that has breath, praise the Lord!

February 14
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  (Ps 19:1, NIV.)
	There is no doubt in my mind that there is a God.  When I listen to the birds sing, smell the flowers, hear the thunder and enjoy the beauty of nature, I know that it all had to be created by Him.  I cannot help but praise Him and thank Him for all the wonderful things He has made.  I stand in awe, knowing that the Creator of heaven and Earth loved me so much that He did everything it took to bring me closer to Him.

February 15
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  (Ps 43:5, NIV.)
	There is a song that says, “When praises go up, blessings come down.” I need to take my focus off of myself and put it on God and praise Him.  Then, my problems will seem small and irrelevant, and I will be blessed. Receiving a blessing is not the reason I praise the Lord.  It is the result of praising Him.

February 16
  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise— the fruit of lips that confess his name.  (Heb 13:15, NIV.)
	What does it mean to offer up the sacrifice of praise?  It means that even when I cannot think of any reason to or when I do not feel like praising the Lord, I will praise Him. I will remember that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins.  He does not ask me to sacrifice animals as the Israelites did in the Old Testament.  The least I can do is to continually offer up the sacrifice of praise to Him and confess His name before everyone.

February 17
  and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.  (Isa 61:3, NIV.)
	One thing that makes us as children of God different from the world is this:  We can have beauty instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning and we can praise the Lord instead of being in despair.  As we live in our God-given inheritance, we will display His splendor.  This means that when the world sees us rejoicing in hard times, they will want what we have.  Then, they will come to know the Lord as well.

February 18
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.  (Ps 34:1, NIV.)
	The word extol means to praise highly or glorify.  When things in my life are going well, I will praise the Lord.  When I am going through hard times, I will praise the Lord.  Even when I don’t feel like it, I will praise the Lord.  No matter what the circumstance, I will still praise the Lord.

February 19
  I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.  (Ps 13:6, NIV.)
	Even when I do not understand what God is doing in my life, I will sing to Him and praise Him.  No matter how bad things may be, God is still good. As I sing to Him, I forget about my problems because He helps me to solve them all.

February 20
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.  (Ps 100:1, NIV.)
	The Lord loves to hear the sound of His children making a joyful noise in praise to Him.  It does not matter if it sounds like noise to us.  If it comes from a pure heart whose only desire is to worship the Lord, it is beautiful and pleasing to Him.

February 21
  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  (Ps 100:2, NIV.)
	Singing is my favorite thing to do.  As I serve the Lord, He puts new songs in my heart, and I cannot help but to sing joyfully for Him.  I am so glad to serve Him, so I will do it with a willing heart, whatever the task may be.

February 22
  Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  (Ps 100:3, NIV.)
	God not only made heaven and Earth, but He also made me.  Since I know that, I will quit trying to help Him or form myself.  I will trust in His ability to make me into His image.  Like a sheep follows the shepherd, I will follow Him and be His child.

February 23
  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  (Ps 100:4, NIV.)
	When I enter His gates and His courts, I want to come bringing nothing but praise and thanksgiving.  When I see all the wonderful things He has done, I want only to be thankful to Him and bless His name.

February 24
  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  (Ps 100:5, NIV.)
	Even though at times I lack love and faithfulness, I do not have to be discouraged.  I thank God because when I am unfaithful and unloving, He is faithful and loving, and that never changes.

February 25
  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."  (John 4:24, NIV.)
	We have the Holy Spirit living within us, which means that our spirit can commune with His Spirit at all times.  That is what it means to worship Him in spirit.  We worship Him in truth when we come before Him with a pure heart and true love for Him.  We worship Him in spirit and in truth when we put Him at the center of our hearts and lives, when everything we do or say comes from a desire to please Him.

February 26
  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship.  (Rom 12:1, NIV.)
	One way for me to worship God is to do things that please Him.  Since I am His child now, I can offer my body as a holy, pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to Him.  I can worship Him by serving Him.

February 27
  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.  (1 Cor 6:19-20, NIV.)
	I am not my own, since I have accepted what Jesus Christ has done for me on the cross.  Therefore, I will honor God in my body.  In everything I do and say, I will praise Him and serve Him.

February 28
  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  (Heb 13:16, NIV.)
	How can we offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God? We can do this by doing good and sharing with others.  When we serve other people, we are pleasing God.

February 29
  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thess 5:18, NIV.)
	I have a tendency at times to complain about disappointments in my life.  I am reminded by this Scripture that even in those times, I need to be thankful.  Why shouldn’t I be?  When I think of what Jesus Christ has done for me, I cannot help but be thankful.  I thank Him for His sacrifice on the cross and for the many blessings that He gives me every day.  It is God’s will for us to be thankful because it is also His will to bless us. As we take time today to thank God, I think we will find that there are more blessings than bad things in our lives.

March 1
  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.  (Ps 136:1, NIV.)
	Why do we give thanks to the Lord?  If He did not do one more good thing for us, we could spend eternity thanking Him for what He has already done.  It is enough that Jesus Christ died on the cross, paying the price for our sins and rising again from the dead.  However, let us think for a moment about why He made that sacrifice.  He did it because of His goodness and His love that endures forever.  Keeping that in mind, let us give thanks to the Lord right now.

March 2
  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.  (Eph 5:19, NIV.)
	I feel that I am more effective at reaching people’s hearts when I sing.  There is such a healing that comes from music.  The Lord puts a song in my heart that helps me through each situation, which enables me to rejoice and go through it without becoming discouraged.  I am renewed and strengthened as I sing the songs that the Lord puts in my heart, and others are blessed and encouraged by them as well.

March 3
  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Cor 15:57, NIV.)
I am no longer a victim, but a victor.  When I am tempted, I do not have to give in to sin and weakness.  I can overcome it because Jesus Christ has already overcome it, and has given me the victory.  
March 4
  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."  (Gen 4:7, NIV.)
	God said these words to Cain when Cain brought a sacrifice that was not pleasing to God.  Cain did not understand that a secret to overcoming sin could be found in God’s words.  Cain did not listen to God, which separated him from God.  However, we can take what God said to Cain and put it into action in our own lives.  Sin does not have power over us if we master it.  We can master it through Jesus Christ. If we do, we will give something to God that is pleasing to Him.

March 5
  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  (Rom 8:37, NIV.)
A conqueror is someone who gains mastery by overcoming obstacles or opposition.  Even when I feel defeated and weak, I am more than a conqueror because of what Jesus has done for me.  When I come up against a struggle, all I have to do is acknowledge the fact that I can handle it only in His strength, and He enables me to overcome it.

March 6
  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  (1 John 5:4-5, NIV.)
	If we think that we can overcome the world on our own, we are terribly mistaken.  We can have this victory only if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and are born of Him.  We are born of him when we are born again as His children.

March 7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (James 4:7, NIV.)
	I would be foolish to think that I could resist the devil on my own.  When temptation or trials come, the only way to effectively resist them is to completely submit to God.  I can do that by spending more time in His presence.  Only when I submit to God will I be able to resist the devil and then, he will flee from me.

March 8
  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  (Rom 12:21, NIV.)
	When I am struggling with temptation or dealing with any kind of opposition, I do not have to be afraid or discouraged.  I will not give up, or give in to it.  I will ask the Lord to help me overcome the evil with His good.

March 9
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  (1 John 4:4, KJV.)
	I do not have to let fear, doubt or any evil thing get in my way ever again.  I can always overcome my enemies because even though they may seem strong and powerful, I know that Jesus Christ, who lives in me, is greater than they are.  He has given me all I need to defeat them.

March 10
  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Phil 2:10-11, NIV.)
I am so glad that someday, everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, even if they do not believe that He is right now.  At that time, all of the things of this world that we hold on to so tightly will seem trivial and unimportant, and He will be all that matters.  Instead of waiting until that day, why don’t we redirect our attention and look at things that way right now?

March 11
  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.  (Matt 24:35, NIV.)
	I find such comfort in this Scripture.  It means that the things of this world are trivial and have no meaning or power when compared to Jesus Christ.  Those things will only be here for a little while, but God and His Word will never pass away.

March 12
  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  (Rev 2:7, NIV.)
We have the power to overcome any temptation that we face.  We can stand secure knowing that God’s promises are true.  We can look forward to eating from the tree of life, which will be given to us by God alone.

March 13
  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.  (Rev 2:11, NIV.)
	I am not frightened when I read of end-time events.  I eagerly await them because I know that through Jesus Christ, I will be an overcomer.  I will not be hurt by the second death because I will have eternal life through Him.

March 14
  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.  (Rev 2:17, NIV.)
	Not only will I be given the hidden manna at the end, all my needs are provided even now.  I also thank God that He knows my name now, and has a new name waiting for me when all else is said and done!

March 15
  He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.  (Rev 3:5, NIV.)
	God will not blot out my name from His book.  To me, that means that since He loves me so much and wants me to have eternal life with Him and not perish, my name is already written there. If I decided to reject Jesus, However, my name would be blotted out of the book.  I praise God, though, that since I have accepted Jesus, no changes have to be made.

March 16
  Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.  (Rev 3:12, NIV.)
When I read this Scripture, I stand in awe of God’s love for me.  It does not matter to Him how inadequate or weak I feel right now.  If Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, this makes me an overcomer.  I will receive these blessings just as every believer will.

March 17
  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.  (Rev 3:21, NIV.)
	When Jesus rose from the dead, he conquered hell, death and the grave, and now sits on the throne at the Father’s right hand.  Through that same overcoming power, we can overcome our enemies and also conquer death, hell and the grave.  It is then promised to us that we will sit with Him on His throne.

March 18
  To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.  (Rev 2:26, NIV.)
	This authority and all of the other blessings set aside for overcomers can only come from God.  It is not in me, for I am merely a human.  I will keep on trusting in Jesus Christ and do His will since the power to overcome and those blessings mentioned in this Scripture come from Him alone.

March 19
  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;  (Luke 10:19, NIV.)
	Since we know that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, we can also be secure in knowing that in the name of Jesus, we have the authority to overcome not some of the power of the enemy sometimes, but we can overcome ALL of the power of the enemy ALL THE TIME.

March 20
  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  (1 Cor 10:13, NIV.)
	We might argue at times that we cannot handle the temptations or even the tasks that God has given us.  That is true; we cannot handle them ON OUR OWN.  God is waiting for us to acknowledge our dependence on Him and to realize that we can only handle them in His strength.  When we ask for His guidance, He will show us how to deal with temptation.

March 21
  no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.  (Isa 54:17, NIV.)
	No weapon formed against you will prosper because you have the most powerful weapon of all.  You have Jesus Christ living in your heart.  He shed His blood for you, and His Word  and His armor are available to you.  That is all you will ever need.

March 22
  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  (2 Cor 10:4, NIV.)
	Does your struggle with temptation and your enemies seem difficult to handle sometimes?  Did you know that through Jesus Christ, you have all the weapons you need?  You will not find those weapons in yourself.  Only the weapons that God gives us have the power to break down strongholds and overcome temptation and your enemies.

March 23
  Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.  Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.  (1 Sam 17:38-40, NIV.)
David could not use Saul's armor to fight against Goliath.  He knew that only the armor that God had given him would work. David’s armor of a staff, a sling and some stones seemed futile against the giant, but it worked because it was the armor that God had given him to use.  Just as it was unnatural for David to fight in Saul’s armor, we can not use things of the world to fight against our enemy because our battle is spiritual. The only way we will be victorious is if we use the armor that God has given us.

March 24
  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  (Eph 6:12, NIV.)
	Ever since Satan was thrown out of heaven with his loathsome legions, he has been trying to make God’s children his children.  We need to be aware of this and know that the battles that we face are not against flesh and blood but against them.  We need not dwell on our enemy and make him bigger than he is.  We must remember that God, our Father is greater than Him.  We must cling tightly to the Lord, love and serve Him with all that is in us, and watch as He defeats the enemy.

March 25
  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  (2 Cor 10:5, NIV.)
	Pretensions are aspirations or intentions that may or may not reach fulfillment.  We know that arguments, pretensions and all negative thoughts do not come from God.  We also know that God is greater than any of those things.  With this in mind, we also know that we do not have to let those things consume our thoughts.  Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts, we can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  Then, our thoughts will be pleasing to God, and much more beneficial to us as well.

March 26
  Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  (1 Pet 1:13, NIV.)
	How do we prepare our minds for action?  We do this by reading the Word of God, putting on the armor of God and by spending much time with God.  We can be self-controlled because self-control is a characteristic that God alone can give.  We can also hope in the grace that God has given us and know that all of these things come only from Him.

March 27
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (1 Pet 5:8, NIV.)
	We will be alert and self-controlled when we put on the armor of God. That is one of the weapons that will prevent us from becoming devoured by the enemy.  There is nothing that can defeat the armor of God.

March 28
  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  (1 Pet 5:9, NIV.)
	We are not alone in our sufferings and temptations.  Just as you and I have an enemy to resist, so do our brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere.  We also need to keep in mind that Jesus suffered so much more than we ever will.  He was tempted in the same way that we are.  Since even through his sufferings and temptations Jesus resisted the devil, so can we.

March 29
 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  (Eph 6:13, NIV.)
	Many preparations must be made in order for a battle to be fought.  A soldier cannot go to war without knowing first how to fight.  As children of God, we cannot overcome our enemies without putting on the full armor of God and studying His Word to find out how to use it.  Then, after we have done everything we can do, we can stand strong in Him, knowing that He will help us.

March 30
  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  (Eph 6:14, NIV.)
	Part of the armor of God is the breastplate of righteousness.  Righteousness is being in right standing with God.  Having the belt of truth around our waist means that we know that Jesus, who is the truth, can set us free.

March 31
  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  (Eph 6:15, NIV.)
	Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”  Their beauty comes from having the peace of Jesus, which passes all understanding. No matter how chaotic our lives are, His peace is always there.  It is up to us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and His peace to everyone we come in contact with.

April 1
  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Eph 6:16, NIV.)
	If we have faith in God, we do not have to let the weapons of our enemies affect or harm us in any way.  The enemy’s fiercest dart cannot get past it.  The shield of faith is there for every child of God.  All we need to do is pick it up and use it.

April 2
  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Eph 6:17, NIV.)
God’s gift of salvation is free for us through Jesus Christ.  All we have to do is ask for it and receive it.  Jesus used the sword of the Spirit when he was tempted by the devil.  He quoted the living Word of God and the devil left him alone.  That same sword is also available to each of us who believes in Jesus Christ.

April 3
  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  (Eph 6:18, NIV.)
Prayer is the most important part of the armor of God.  If I do not know Him, how can I serve Him. I most certainly cannot overcome my enemies without an intimate relationship with The Overcomer Himself.  If I am in constant prayer, the Lord will also give me direction on how and when to use the other parts of His armor.

April 4
  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  (John 10:27, NIV.)
	Just as the sheep listen to the shepherd’s voice, we, God’s children, should listen to the voice of our Father. When we pray, we not only ask God for the things we and others need. Our greatest desire must be to know His voice, to know Him and to be known by Him.  

April 5
  pray continually;  (1 Thess 5:17, NIV.)
	Yes, we can pray continually, without stopping.  I am so glad to know that I can tell my best friend, Jesus about everything that is going on in my life.  I can share with Him my thoughts, my fears, my weaknesses, my circumstances, my relationships, my hurts, everything, and He hears me.  Not only can I tell Him about all these things, I can listen to see what He will say.  To me, that is what it means to pray continually.

April 6
  Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  (Col 4:2, NIV.)
	When I pray, I will be watchful to see where God is leading and then follow Him.  I will be devoted to Him, which means that I will daily spend time getting to know Him.  I will continue to be thankful for the many blessings that He has given me.

April 7
  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  (Matt 6:7, NIV.)
	When I pray, I do not make a habit of using dramatizations or fancy words.  I simply talk to my heavenly Father the same way I would talk to my earthly father, or to my best friend.  I am so glad that since He is always with me, He can always hear my prayers, requests, praise, questions and worship.  Not only that, I can hear Him speaking back to me.

April 8
  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  (Matt 6:6, NKJV.)
	Jesus was referring to those who think they are known by the many words that they pray in front of people.  He knows our hearts, and when we pray in secret, He hears our prayers and will answer them.

April 9
Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  (Matt 6:8, NKJV.)
	The all-knowing God knows me so well that He knows what I need before I ask Him.  Since He knows what I need, I have confidence that He will take care of it.  Some people think that since God already knows, we do not need to ask.  If we did not ask God for what we need, we would be trying to answer our own prayers.  I cannot answer my own prayers, so I will continue to ask God for everything I need.

April 10
In this manner therefore pray:  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  (Matt 6:9-10, NKJV.)
The word hallow means to make holy, to set apart for holy use or to respect greatly.  As we pray to our Father in heaven who is holy, our desire is for His kingdom not only to come in heaven, but on Earth as well.  We long for His will to be done in our lives, and not our own.

April 11
  Give us this day our daily bread.  (Matt 6:11, NKJV.)
	I am very fortunate to have never gone hungry.  I have never had to worry about where my next meal was coming from. God gives me everything I need as each new day comes.  Even those who have less than I do can still have their daily bread provided for in the same way I do, by asking the Lord for it, and knowing that He will provide.

April 12
  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (Matt 6:12, NKJV.)
	The buildup of unforgiveness is a great hindrance to praying effectively.  Jesus goes on later in this chapter to explain the importance of forgiving our debtors.  If we do not forgive them, our Father will not forgive us.  Since God has forgiven us of so much debt, the least we can do is to gratefully and graciously forgive those who have done wrong to us, our debtors.

April 13
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  (Matt 6:13, NKJV.)
	If we pray for God to deliver us from evil, He will make us aware of it so that we will not be affected by it.  The most important thing about prayer is remembering that it is about God, not us.  The kingdom, the power and the glory is His.  We pray to Him because He alone is able to answer our prayers.  We praise Him because He alone is worthy of our praise.

April 14
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  (Matt 7:7, NIV.)
	God will never deny us the answers that we need.  All we have to do is ask, seek, and knock, and it will be given, we will find it, and the door will be opened.  If we want something bad enough, it will come to us if we keep asking, seeking and knocking.

April 15
  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Heb 4:16, NIV.)
	How can we approach the throne of God with boldness and confidence?  When Jesus died on the cross, the vail of the temple was torn in half.  That means that we can come boldly into the holy of holies, into His presence without guilt or shame.  When we are in need, all we have to do is come to Him and He gives us His helping, saving grace.

April 16
  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  (James 5:16, KJV.)
The word fervent means very hot, exhibited or marked by great feelings of intensity, or zealous. After that verse, we read of how fervent Elijah's prayers were for the rain to stop, and then for the rain to come again.  He persisted in prayer, and God answered Him. If our prayers are as fervent as Elijah’s were, we will see God’s power working mightily in our lives.

April 17
  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."  (Matthew 21:22, NIV.)
	If I ask God for something and then doubt that I will receive it, I have asked in vain.  If I doubt, I am calling God a liar and denying His power.  However, if I ask Him for something  and believe that He can bring it to pass, I will receive whatever I have asked of Him.

April 18
  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."  (Matt 18:20, NIV.)
	There is so much power in prayer, especially when two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name.  When the people were gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost in unity and agreement, the Holy Spirit came down, and was given to them. It makes no difference whether the group is big or small.  If two people are agreeing in prayer, the Lord is with them.  He will hear and answer their prayer.

April 19
  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us— whatever we ask— we know that we have what we asked of him.  (1 John 5:14-15, NIV.)
	We can be confident not in our abilities, but in God’s ability to answer prayer.  If we are praying for His will to be done in our lives, we know He will do whatever it is we ask of Him.

April 20
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  (Mark 11:22-23, NIV.)
	It may not be necessary to move a physical mountain.  However, sometimes it is necessary to move the mountains we face every day, in obstacles, trials and shortcomings.  All those things can be overcome by having faith in God and knowing that He will help us through them.

April 21
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  (Heb 11:1, NIV.)
	Our blessed hope is in knowing that Christ will return for us someday.  We do not see God, but we believe by faith that He is always with us, and that He will return for us.

April 22
  We live by faith, not by sight.  (2 Cor 5:7, NIV.)
	I have been blind since birth.  When I go to an unfamiliar place, I have to trust in someone to guide me.  I have to walk by faith believing that the person will not leave me or make me fall or run into something on purpose.  In the same way, we do not see what is in our future, but we can live by faith in the Lord, knowing that He will never leave us or lead us astray.

April 23
  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.  (Rom 8:24-25, NIV.)
	My joy can never be taken away from me because of the steadfast hope I have in Jesus.  I trust wholeheartedly that all of my needs will be supplied and I will always be taken care of.  I look forward to the day when Jesus Christ will come back for His children.  I do not see Jesus returning now, but I can put my hope in that because it was promised in God’s Word.  Hoping in God has never disappointed me and I know it never will.

April 24
  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.  (Heb 11:3, NIV.)
	What is seen was not made out of what was visible.  This means that God spoke the Earth into existence when there was nothing there but darkness.  We believe it because God’s Word says it is true.  Not only do we believe that God made the universe out of nothing, but we also have faith that He can change us from walking in sin and darkness to holiness and light in Him.

April 25
  By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  (Heb 11:5, NIV.)
	The Bible says that Enoch was no longer there because God took him.  It is not normal for someone to be taken into heaven the way Enoch was.  However, we believe that it happened by faith. Enoch had an unwavering faith in God, and a close, intimate relationship with Him.  I believe it is possible for us, too, by faith, to walk closely with God as Enoch did.  Ask yourself right now how you can get closer to God.  Is anything stopping you?

April 26
  By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.  (Heb 11:7, NIV.)
When Noah told his friends and neighbors about what God was going to do, they made fun of him.  He could have decided not to build the ark because he didn’t see a flood coming and it made him look like a fool.  However, he chose to obey God and build the ark by faith.  As we know, the floods came and all of his so-called friends that laughed at him drowned in the water because they did not listen to him.  He was saved, though, because He was obedient to God by faith.

April 27
  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  (Heb 11:8-10, NIV.)
	My friend and I were asked to come and minister in a faraway town by people we did not know.  I was nervous and afraid, so I asked the Lord to be with us and guide us.  When we arrived at our new friends’ house, I found that our love for Jesus Christ was the same.  I went to minister to them and their church by faith, being obedient to God instead of fear, and I was blessed and learned some wonderful things.  Abraham went to the land that God called him to although he was a stranger there.  the Lord not only blessed him as a result of his faith, but also counted his faith for righteousness.

April 28
  All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  (Heb 11:13, NIV.)
	Just as Abraham and Sarah believed by faith the promise that they would be the mother and father of many and did not see it come to pass, many Christians believed by faith that Jesus would return to take His children to be with Him and some of them died before it happened.  Of course, the promise that the Lord gave to Abraham and Sarah came true, and those people who died in the Lord went to be with the Lord.  Those of us who are still alive are waiting for Christ’s return.  Although we do not see it, we believe by faith that He will indeed return.  We also believe that we are strangers in this land.  This is not our permanent home, but by faith, we know that we have a home waiting for us with Jesus.

April 29
  By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son.  (Heb 11:17, NIV.)
	When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, he obeyed without hesitation.  He told his servants that he and Isaac would sacrifice and then return to them later.  When Isaac asked him where the lamb was for the sacrifice, instead of telling Isaac of his seemingly soon-coming death, Abraham told him by faith that God would provide a lamb.  Is God asking you to give something to Him that is very important to you, maybe your job, your spouse, a child, a family member?  I have come to know from experience that if you give Him whatever it is and trust Him, He will either give it back to you or replace it with something far better than what you gave Him in the first place.  If you let it go, you will come to know Him as the faithful God, and be drawn closer to Him because of it.

April 30
  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.  (Heb 11:20, NIV.)
	This was truly an example of someone walking by faith and not by sight.  Isaac did not see which son he was blessing, but gave them each the correct blessing from God by faith.  He intended to bless Esau with the good blessing, but God meant it for Jacob.  At times, we ourselves put God in a box and bless only those we deem worthy of the blessing, when God might want us to bless someone who does not meet our expectations.  Let us ask God how He would have us treat each person we come in contact with, and then do it by faith.

May 1
  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.  (Heb 11:21, NIV.)
	Here again is someone who was obedient to God no matter what the tradition was.  Though the custom said that the eldest son should have the better blessing, Jacob gave it to Joseph’s younger son by faith, thus doing the will of God instead of conforming to the world.  When Joseph tried to correct him by putting the correct hand on the correct son, Jacob refused and did it the way the Lord wanted it to be done, worshipping God all the while.

May 2
  By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.  (Heb 11:22, NIV.)
	Again, we see someone believing in what is not seen.  The exodus of the Israelites from Egypt did not take place until hundreds of years after Joseph’s death.  We, too, can hold on to the promises that God has given us in His Word.  Even though we cannot see them at the present time, we know by faith that they will eventually come to pass.

May 3
  By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.  By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  (Heb 11:23-24, NIV.)
	Just imagine if Moses and his parents had not stepped out in their faith toward God.  The Israelites would still be in Egypt, and the whole course of history would be different.  That being the case, Jesus would not have come from Bethlehem, thus proving prophecy to be unfulfilled.  Lord, help my faith in You to be greater than my fear of man.  Though change is uncomfortable for me, help me not to fear it or resist it, but to accept it willingly as it comes.

May 4
  By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.  (Heb 11:30, NIV.)
	Sometimes God asks us to do things that do not make sense to us.  Under normal circumstances, if one walked around a city for seven days, its wall would more than likely not fall over.  However, rather than putting logic and reasoning first, Joshua did what God commanded him, though it seemed strange.  When he did what he was supposed to do, God did His part, and the wall of Jericho fell.

May 5
  By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.  (Heb 11:31, NIV.)
	Rahab risked her life for the spies.  She could very easily have not welcomed them, or she could have made it known that she knew where they were.  If she did those things, she would have been killed when the Israelites defeated her people.  However, since she had faith in God and was obedient to Him, her life was spared.

May 6
  "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.  (Luke 1:38, NIV.)
	Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive the Son of God by the Holy Spirit.  She could have told Gabriel the many reasons why this could not happen, such as her virginity and Jesus’ illegitimacy as Joseph’s son.  She did not do this.  Instead, she lived by faith and let God bring His plan to pass, even though she may have felt unworthy and it seemed impossible to her.

May 7
  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  (Mark 9:24, NIV.)
	The father of the demon-possessed boy confessed his unbelief to Jesus, and asked for His help.  Jesus healed the boy in spite of the father’s lack of faith. It is not good to doubt the Lord, but He knows that we as humans do at times.  We need to be honest, as this father was, and tell Jesus about even our unbelief.  Then, He will help our unbelief and answer our prayers.

May 8
  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  (Col 3:2, NIV.)
	I do not set my mind on earthly things because they always change and eventually let me down.  If I keep my eyes set on Jesus Christ, His love never changes and I will never be disappointed.

May 9
  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Cor 4:18, NIV.)
	When all I see are the problems of this life, I do not let myself get discouraged.  What I do not see is that God’s hand is on me, helping me through every situation.  Pleasures of this world and problems that I face are temporary and will soon pass away.  However, the things of God, which I cannot see, are eternal.  This means that they will last forever.

May 10
  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.  (Rom 10:17, NIV.)
	As we read the word of God, it becomes hidden in our hearts.  Then, we have faith to believe that we serve the same God that inspired the Bible, and know that He will do the same things for us that He did for the people that His Word speaks of.

May 11
  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  (Heb 11:6, NIV.)
	If we are seeking God, we must have faith in Him because His Word says that whoever seeks Him will find Him.  As we put our trust in Him, He will not only reward us for seeking Him, but He will continually prove that He is trustworthy.

May 12
  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;  (James 1:6-7, NIV.)
	If we love the Lord, we will seek Him.  As we seek Him, we find Him and get to know Him.  As we get to know Him, we find that there is no reason to doubt Him because He is always true to His Word.  If we believe without doubting, we will receive all that we ask of Him.

May 13
  in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  (Ps 56:11, NIV.)
No matter what happens to me, I will continually trust in the Lord.  God is greater than all of my enemies, so I will not be afraid of what people think or what they might do to me.

May 14
  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.  (Ps 118:8, NIV.)
	If we put our trust in man, man will fail us.  However, if we take refuge in the Lord, He will keep His Word and will do what He promised He would do.  That is why it is better for us to take refuge in the Lord rather than to put our trust in man.

May 15
  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  (Ps 20:7, NIV.)
	Let us put this verse in today’s terminology.  Some trust in spouses, friends, riches, circumstances, success, power and many other things, but we put our trust in the name of the Lord.  We will fail if we fail to put our trust in the Lord.

May 16
 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.  (Gal 1:10, NIV.)
If in pleasing other people, I am not pleasing God, I must make a choice.  I would rather do something that is pleasing to the Lord even if it does not please other people.

May 17
  Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!  (Acts 5:29, NIV.)
	The apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin to be put to death for preaching the name of Jesus.  The apostles could have submitted to the Sanhedrin and said they would never do it again in fear of being killed.  However, they stood strong in their obedience to God rather than man.  Likewise, we must not be afraid of what could happen to us.  If we will obey God, He will bless us, and the reward that God will give is far greater than any reward we can receive from pleasing other people.

May 18
  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?  (Rom 8:31, NIV.)
In Judges chapters 6-7, we read of how Gideon and only 300 men conquered the Midianites.  Even if Gideon were fighting them all by himself, he still would have conquered them.  Why?  Because God was on his side.  So I ask you:  If God is for you, who can be against you?

May 19
  Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  (Ex 14:13, NIV.)
	Why did Moses say what he said?  As we read on, we see the Red Sea dividing and the Israelites walking through it victoriously on dry ground.  We also see their enemies, the Egyptians trying to walk across it, but they are not able to do so since the waters come back together and they are swallowed up in the sea.  Remember that you also do not need to be afraid.  You serve the same God.  Just as He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, fear not, Stand still, and watch as He parts the “Red Sea” in your life.

May 20
  When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.  (DT 20:1, NIV.)
	Let us put this into terms that we might understand today.  When you come up against a situation or people that seem too difficult to handle on your own.  Do not be afraid.  The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt and defeated their enemies.  He saved you from sin, and He will be with you and defeat your enemies also.

May 21
  The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."  (1 Sam 17:37, NIV.)
	Saul did not believe that David could defeat Goliath, their Philistine enemy.  As you read what David says in this verse, notice that David was not expressing a confidence in his ability to defeat Goliath. God came through for him many times before and he had no doubt that He would continue to be faithful.  As we know, David successfully killed Goliath in the strength of the Lord.  Where is your confidence?  Are you afraid to be bold and stand strong in what God has called you to do because you know that you cannot accomplish the task on your own?  Or, are you convinced that since He has helped you to overcome your enemies in the past, He will prove faithful to do it again?

May 22
 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  (Ps 27:1, NIV.)
	The Lord is the light of my salvation and the strength of my life.  Since I serve the Almighty God, what reason do I have to be afraid?  Since He is my strength, what weakness could ever hinder me?

May 23
  Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,  for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.  (Prov 3:25-26, NIV.)
	There is never any reason for me to be afraid.  If I die, I will be with the Lord, which will be better than living.  If I were to face a sudden disaster, the Lord would help me to overcome it.  I would not be ruined by wickedness because I am His child, following in His footsteps.  My confidence is not in me, but it is in the Lord.  I know without a doubt that He will sustain me and keep me from falling.

May 24
  When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  (Ps 56:3, NIV.)
	When I am afraid, I can either dwell on the fear and see it become larger, or I can trust in the Lord and see it fade away.  I have good reason to trust in the Lord when I am afraid. He gives me peace to replace the fear and the thing I am afraid of is no longer a concern.

May 25
  "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass,  that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?  (Isa 51:12-13, NIV.)
	We serve the living, all-powerful, Almighty, unchanging God, who made all things. We do not need to be afraid of what other people think.  They are people just like us and will pass away as the grass does.  The wrath of the oppressor is nothing compared to the greatness of our God.

May 26
  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  (Isa 41:10, NIV.)
It is so comforting to hear these words from my loving Lord in a seemingly fearful situation.  Just knowing that He is with me is enough to wash any fear away.  I will not be discouraged because He will strengthen and help me.  There is no danger that the Lord cannot lift me out of with His righteous right hand.

May 27
  But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.  (Jer 1:7-8, NIV.)
	Just as Jeremiah thought he was too young to do what God asked him to do, I feel inadequate at times and unprepared for the part that I play in God’s plan.  Lord, help my confidence in You to be so strong that I am not afraid to go where you send me.  Though their faces are visible, let my trust be in the invisible face of my God, who is always with me, helping me.

May 28
  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  (2 Tim 1:7, KJV.)
	When I am faced with a fearful situation, I ask myself, Did the Lord bring this to me?  The answer is clear.  No, He did not, because He has not given us a spirit of fear.  His Holy Spirit produces within us love, power and a sound mind, which wipes out any and every trace of fear.

May 29
  Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.  (Prov 29:25, NIV.)
	A snare is something by which one is entangled, involved in difficulties or impeded, or a trap.  We are caught in a snare if we put our trust in or fear other people.  If we come to the place where we are not afraid of others or what they think, and put our trust completely in the Lord, we will be kept safe.

May 30
  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  (1 John 4:18, NIV.)
	Lord, you are the God of love, and there is no fear in you.  Teach me how to live in love instead of fear.  Make me perfect in love so that I do not know or give into fear anymore.

May 31
  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  (Rom 8:28, NIV.)
	Sometimes my life does not go the way I have planned for it to go.  Instead of being upset or disappointed, I can still rejoice, knowing that God knows best.  His will has always been better than mine, and it works out for my good and for His glory.

June 1
  And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  (Phil 4:19, NIV.)
	When I have a need in my life, I do not have to fret or worry.  I can rest assured that God knows what my need is, and He will be faithful to meet it.

June 2
  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matt 6:33, NIV.)
	I have come to realize  that things of this world are meaningless and of no value when compared to the Lord’s greatness.  I will not let myself get caught up in worldly things.  Instead, I will put Jesus first and then everything else will fall into its proper place.

June 3
  Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.  (Ps 34:9, NIV.)
	If we fear the Lord, we will not lack anything or want more than what He gives us because all of our needs will be met.  Even if He did not supply our every need and shower down blessings on us, we could still spend hours thanking Him for the many things that He has already done for us.

June 4
  Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"  (Matt 4:4, NIV.)
	It is vital for us to eat nutritional foods to insure our survival.  It is just as important that we read God’s Word.  We are being fed spiritually as we read and study God’s Word.  As we grow in Him, our confidence in Him increases.  We know without a doubt that He will provide both our spiritual food and the food that our physical bodies need.

June 5
  but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  (John 4:14, NIV.)
	When we drink water, we know that later, we will be thirsty again.  However, when we drink the living water that Jesus gives us, we will never thirst again.  We will always want more of Him, and we will be satisfied with what He gives us.  As we drink that living water, it springs up in us until all we want to do is share the love of Jesus with others so that they can drink His living water, too.

June 6
  "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.  (John 4:34, NIV.)
	Jesus said this to His disciples after telling the woman at the well about the living water that only He can give.  He told them that He had food that they did not know about.  The disciples could not figure out where he must have found something to eat.  They did not understand that Jesus meant that it is more fulfilling to do the will of the Father.  Yes, it is important for us to eat food for our physical bodies.  However, we find a deeper satisfaction when our food is to do the will of our Father.

June 7
  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  (Phil 4:11, NIV.)
When I have a need, I do not have to worry about it.  I can be content, meaning that whatever happens, I am satisfied.  I am truly blessed if I have come to a place where all I want is more of the Lord in my life.  Everything else can be taken away from me, but nothing can separate me from His love.  Then, and only then have I found true contentment.

June 8
  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  (Heb 13:5, NIV.)
	It is not wrong for us to have money, but according to our verse for today, it is the love of money that is wrong.  On the other hand, we do not have to worry about a lack of money.  We can be content with  what we have.  It is so good to know that God will never leave us or forsake us.  That means that God is always with me, even when I do not feel His presence.

June 9
  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (Matt 28:20, NIV.)
	Jesus did not only give this promise to His disciples.  This promise is for all who believe in Him.  We can teach the world to obey His commandments because He is with us.  We have peace in the harshest storm because He is with us.  He is with us now, and will be with us forever.

June 10
  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  (Josh 1:9, NIV.)
	I will not be afraid when things in my life seem frightening.  No matter where I am, the Lord is with me, and since He is there, there is no reason to fear.  Instead, I will be strong and courageous.

June 11
  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.  (Isa 49:15-16, NIV.)
	I remember a time I was sick when my mother was not around to take care of me.  The Lord reminded me that when no one else is there, He is there.  I may have been physically alone, but the Lord was faithful, as always, and took perfect care of me.  Even if I feel forgotten or abandoned by others, I can rejoice because the Lord will never forget or abandon me.

June 12
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  (Ps 139:7, NIV.)
Lord, I am so thankful that no matter where I’ve been, what I’ve done, where I go, or what I say, your love can still reach me.  There is no place that is too far out of your sight.  I am so glad that I cannot go anywhere that you cannot find me.

June 13
  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  (Ps 139:8, NIV.)
	It does not matter how far into sin a person falls.  The Lord can always bring him or her out of it.  Even in what seems to be the depths of hell, we can cry out to Him and He hears us and forgives us.

June 14
  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,  even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  (Ps 139:10, NIV.)
	What a wonderful promise God has given to us in this verse!  This means that there is no pit too deep that He cannot pull us out of.  He is God, and His love has no limitations or boundaries.  He has gone, (and will continue to go), to great lengths to show this to us.  All we have to do is come to Him, and He will love us and uphold us with His hand.

June 15
"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.  (John 16:32, NIV.)
Before I knew Jesus, I thought that I was always alone and didn’t fit in anywhere.  I constantly felt sorry for myself because I thought I did not have anyone to turn to.  Now, I know that even though I may feel alone, I am never really alone.  My Father is always with me.  Jesus understood that, too.  He knew that His disciples were going to scatter and leave Him.  His knowledge that the Father was with Him was greater than His feeling of loneliness.  Can we say the same for ourselves?  When we feel lonely, do we indulge in self-pity or do we call on Jesus, the Friend that is always with us?

June 16
  may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to know this love that surpasses knowledge,  that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  (Eph 3:18-19, NIV.)
	We will never be able to fully comprehend the love of Jesus.  It is longer than one’s longest line of sins.  It is deeper than the pit of hell.  It is wider than the path that leads to destruction.  It is higher than the highest mountain that stands in our way.  That love, which goes beyond all understanding is for you, too.

June 17
  The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  (Zep 3:17, NIV.)
	Did you know that God takes pleasure and delights in you?  Did you know that He rejoices over you with singing?  He longs to quiet your every anxiety with His never-ending love.  He can save you because He is greater than anything you need rescued from.

June 18
  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, NIV.)
	We have all heard this verse so many times, but do we really grasp its meaning?  God the Father loved each and every one of us so much that He sent His only Son, all He had, to die on the cross so that we could be free from sin.  Even from the beginning of time, all He wanted was for His children to know how much He loved them.  Now, since Jesus has gone to the cross, He can finally have the relationship with us that He desires.  We can be secure, knowing that we will not perish in our sins, and we will have everlasting and eternal life with our Father, who loves us so much.

June 19
  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  (John 15:13, NIV.)
	Do you love your friend so much that you would die for the person?  That is how much Jesus loves you.  He loves you so much that He laid down His life for you, and called you His friend.  Get to know Jesus today as your Friend.  You will find that He is a closer friend than any of your friends here on Earth.

June 20
there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  (Prov 18:24B, NIV.)
	I have two sisters.  I can confide in them about anything and I consider them both to be true friends.  Since Jesus is the friend that sticks closer than a brother, how much better of a friend He must be than even my sisters!  In most cases, our friends only know certain things about us.  Jesus knows everything and still loves us.  Even though the things we would like to keep hidden are not hidden to Him, He remains our closest friend.

June 21
  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Rom 5:8, NIV.)
	Are you thinking that none of this could apply to you?  “You don’t know the awful things I’ve done,” you may argue.  This verse says that Jesus demonstrated His love for you while you were still a sinner.  Jesus knows about your sin, and He also knows your great need for a Savior. He died on the cross to show how much He loves you and to set you free from your sin.

June 22
  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  (1 John 4:16, NIV.)
	I am so glad that I can rely on God’s love even when I am unlovable.  God is love, and since I am His child, I can love others in the same way that Jesus loves me.

June 23
We love because he first loved us.  (1 John 4:19, NIV.)
God showed how much He loved us by sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. He chose us, called us and made us part of His family.  Because He loved us first, we are able to love Him and others.

June 24
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  (1 John 3:1, NIV.)
	God loves us so much that He called us His children.  The world does not understand us, since we are no longer children of darkness but His children.  They also do not understand that He loves them just as much as He loves us.  He will be their Father, too, if they will accept His love.

June 25
  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, <"Abba,> Father."  (Rom 8:15, NIV.)
	Before we came to Jesus, we were slaves to fear and slaves to sin.  We did, said and thought according to what our sinful nature dictated.  When we accepted Jesus, we received His Holy Spirit and were adopted into His family.  Since we are now His children and He is our Abba, Father, our Daddy, we no longer live according to the flesh. As we grow in Him, our actions, words and thoughts become like His.

June 26
  you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (1 Pet 2:5, NIV.)
	Do you know that God has a specific place set aside for you in the body of Christ?  You are neither insignificant or an accident. You fit in and are very much needed by God and by other members of His body.  Ask Him what He wants you to do and then come and take your place.

June 27
  everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."  (Isa 43:7, NIV.)
	Why did God make us?  We are not here by chance.  Since we were formed for God’s glory, let us do only what He calls us to do.  Let us not take the credit for the good fruits that we produce.  Instead, let us be mere reflections of the One who made us, and who alone deserves the glory.

June 28
  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  (1 Pet 2:9, NIV.)
	Each of us has a story to tell about how Jesus brought us out of darkness into His wonderful light.  One way that we can do what God has called us to do is to tell our story.  It is ours alone, and it cannot be taken away from us because it was given by God.  Let us tell others what Jesus did for us so that He can do the same for them.

June 29
  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.  (Eph 1:4-5, NIV.)
	Did you know that before the Earth was formed, God thought of you?  He chose you and created you, all for His pleasure.  There is no mistake.  you are here because it was God’s will to put you here.  From the beginning of time, He intended for you to be holy, to be is child.

June 30
  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  (Ps 139:14, NIV.)
	I become so frustrated with my many flaws and weaknesses at times that I forget that I was fearfully and wonderfully made by God.  Everything that God makes is good, and He made me exactly the way that He wanted to make me.  I will praise God and thank Him for loving me and fearfully and wonderfully making me.

July 1
  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  (Jer 1:5, NIV.)
	Yes, you!  You, who think you have nothing to offer, nothing to give.  Your mother and father may have conceived you, but God actually made you in your mother’s womb.  You were not made for nothing.  He made you with a purpose, a special plan.  Ask Him, and He will show you where you fit in and what your part is.

July 2
  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  (John 10:29, NIV.)
	Sometimes we as Christians give into temptation  and let sin hinder us from walking closely with the Lord.  The guilt we feel after submitting to weakness makes the gap between God and us seem larger.  However, God is so patient with us.  Since He is much greater than our weaknesses, He will not let anything or anyone separate us from His love.

July 3
  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Rom 8:38-39, NIV.)
	Since I am convinced that nothing can separate me from the love of God, I can live my life in complete confidence.  I know that He is always with me, and nothing can change that.

July 4
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  (Rom 3:23, NIV.)
If you are struggling with sin, you are not alone.  None of us have any goodness or perfection in ourselves.  We were born in sin, but thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not have to stay in sin.

July 5
  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Gal 6:7-8, NIV.)
	I did not take good care of my teeth when I was younger.  I brushed them whenever I felt like it, which was not as often as I should have.  Now, I have advanced periodontal disease.  I visit the dentist twice as often as most people so that my teeth will remain healthy.  In the same way, if we live a life of sin, we will live in misery and die in sin.  However, if we follow Christ and do what is pleasing to Him, not only will we inherit eternal life, but we will be blessed in our lives here on Earth as well.

July 6
  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Rom 6:23, NIV.)
	If we continue to give into temptation and live a life of sin, we will die in our sin.  However, if we accept the free gift of salvation that was given to us by Jesus Christ, we will have eternal life, life that overcomes death.

July 7
  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Cor 5:21, NIV.)
	Jesus, the only son of God, could have chosen to stay in heaven in the glory of His Father. However, He denied all of the honor and majesty, humbled Himself, was accused, persecuted, crucified, died and was buried.  Because of His persistent love for us, He endured it all so that we could be free from sin.  He knew no sin, but He took our place by taking on the sins of the world.

July 8
  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.  (John 10:9, NIV.)
	One night, I went out of my house, locked the door and forgot that I did not have the key with me.  I am so glad that there was a spare key, which successfully let me back into the house.  I am also glad that I will never be locked out of God’s love as long as I have entered in by the only door, which is Jesus Christ.  There is no need for a spare key.  Since Jesus is the door, He is all I need.

July 9
  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:6, NIV.)
Because Jesus is the truth, I am set free from any deception. He is the only way to heaven, and there are so many blessings in my life right now that come from knowing Him as well.
July 10
  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:17, NIV.)
	Do you ever think that your sin is so great that God could never love you or forgive you?  Do you think He would look at your life and immediately condemn you?  We find in this verse that this is not so.  He will not condemn you, but will save you through Jesus Christ and will help you.  All you have to do is ask Him to.

July 11
  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."  (Luke 19:10, NIV.)
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not understand Jesus’ reason for going into the house of Zacchaeus, a tax collector, a “sinner.”  The answer to that question is made very clear in this verse.  Jesus’ main goal was and still is to seek and to save that which was lost.  Yes, Zacchaeus was living in sin, but Jesus did not condemn Him.  He saved Him and turned him away from his sin.  We should do likewise with our brothers and sisters. Instead of judging them, we should point them to Jesus and let Him love them through us.

July 12
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  (Rom 8:1, KJV.)
We do not have to spend hours beating ourselves up over things we have done wrong.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can go to the Father and be forgiven of our sin.  Since we are forgiven, we are set free from all guilt and condemnation.

July 13
  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  (Rom 8:2, NIV.)
	Before Jesus paid the penalty for sin, people were required to follow the ten commandments.  If they broke one of those commandments, they were condemned unless they offered a sacrifice to God.  Thank God, Jesus came and changed all of that.  We are not under the law anymore.  We have been given the grace of God, which has made us free from the law of sin and death.  We should choose not to sin, but if we do, we have God’s forgiveness.

July 14
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Rom 5:1, NIV.)
Because of our sin, we do not deserve to have all the good things the Lord has for us.  However, our faith in Christ justifies  us, and the only way to be free from sin comes from Him alone.  Now that we have been justified, we can have peace with God as we never could before.

July 15
  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.  (1 Cor 15:10, NIV.)
Only by the grace of God can I be your instrument, can I be what I am not, can I follow Your commands.  By Your grace alone, the free gift you’ve given me, I can say I’m not my own.  I’ve been bought only by the grace of God.

July 16
  But he (God) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  (2 Cor 12:9, NIV.)
	At times, my sin seems too hard for me to overcome, and my weaknesses seem so strong. Thank God, I do not have to struggle with them on my own.  God’s grace is sufficient.  It is enough.  It is all I need. His strength is stronger than my weakness.  I will ask for His help in my battle with sin, and let His power rest on me.

July 17
  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  (Eph 2:8-9, NIV.)
	I can not earn my own forgiveness from sin by doing things to try to please God. My forgiveness has already been paid for, and is made possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  I do not boast in my perfection (or lack of it), but only in the fact that I have been saved by God’s grace and Christ’s finished work on the cross.

July 18
  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.  (Isa 64:6, NIV.)
	There are people who believe they will go to heaven because they are good people.  They have fed the hungry.  They have given to the poor.  They have given a drink to the thirsty.  They have taken in the homeless and taken care of the sick.  However, these good works are like filthy rags unless Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.  Without Him, we would die in our sin.  He is the only way to heaven.

July 19
  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.  (Tit 3:5, NIV.)
	Because we have been saved by God’s mercy, we can walk in the newness of life that only He can give.  We cannot earn our own salvation because it was already earned for us.

July 20
  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  (Rev 3:20, NIV.)
	Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart.  He has been knocking as long as you have been living.  How much longer will He have to knock before you will open the door and let Him in?  So many times, we think we have waited on the Lord for a long time, but in reality, He is waiting for us—waiting to see when we will open the door.

July 21
  Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.  (Ps 34:8, NIV.)
	Since the Lord does not normally speak to us with an audible voice and we cannot see Him with our eyes, we have many misconceptions about Him.  Some think that He will strike them dead or send them to hell at the smallest mistake.  God is not that kind of God.  However, we will not find that out about Him until we come to Him and see for ourselves.  We will be blessed above measure when we put away our misunderstandings of Him and take refuge in Him.

July 22
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  (2 Chron 7:14, NIV.)
	I spend a great deal of time praying for someone else’s heart to turn to the Lord, or for revival in my church.  However, the Lord gently reminds me through His Word that it is me that needs to change.  Is my heart right with Him?  Have I humbled myself, turned from my sins and sought His face?  When I do that, and only then, will God hear from heaven, forgive my sins, and yes, heal my land.  If I want others to change, they must first see a change in me and then the Lord will change them.

July 23
  "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.  (Jer 3:22, NIV.)
	I accepted Jesus at a young age, but I went away from Him in my teenage years.  Realizing how deep I was in sin and that I was in need of a Savior, I came back to Him.  He cured my backslidings and delivered me (and He is still delivering me), from the many bondages that I had been struggling with.  If you are reading this devotional and maybe has strayed away from the Lord, these words are for you.  He is calling you back to Himself because He loves you.  Right now is not too late to come back to Him.  When you do, He will bless you as He has also blessed me.

July 24
  "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  (Isa 1:18, NIV.)
	It disgusts me to look at my sinful condition.  At times I feel that I will never be worthy of God’s love.  I am reminded by this Scripture and many others that this is not how God wants us to feel, as His children.  It is true that we are unworthy of His love.  However, if Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, God does not see our sinful, weak condition when He looks at us.  He sees the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, covering us.  That blood saves us from God’s anger, makes it possible for us to go directly to God the Father in prayer, heals all our sickness and cleanses and delivers us so that we no longer live a life of sin.  The stain of my sin may be as red as scarlet, but the blood of Jesus washes it away until I am as white as snow.

July 25
  When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.  (Ps 27:8, KJV.)
	The desire of God’s heart is that we would seek Him with our whole hearts.  To seek Him is to desire Him, to look for Him, to talk to Him, to read and study His Word.  How will we respond to His call?  Each day, I will answer as David did, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

July 26
  Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  (Isa 55:6, NIV.)
	We do not fully understand what Jesus did for us at Calvary.  Before He came, only the priests were able to go into God’s presence.  However, Jesus made it possible and opened the door for all of us to go into His presence at any time, through Him.  So let us not put it off until a later time, but let us seek the Lord and call on Him right now, while He may be found.

July 27
  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  (Jer 29:13, NIV.)
	The Lord eagerly waits for us to seek Him.  When we do, He proves to us that He is true to His Word.  He will never let His  children down.  If we love Him, we will want to seek His face.  If we are seeking Him wholeheartedly, we know that we will find Him.

July 28
  Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  (Matt 22:37-38, NIV.)
	We tend to get caught up in trying to do things on our own to please God.  We become frustrated if we fail to keep up with and meet all of the expectations and demands.  Before we let these things burden us, let us remember what is really required of us.  Jesus asked that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind.  His death on the cross and His resurrection took care of all the things that we cannot take care of.  Besides, If we truly love the Lord with all we are and all we have, we will hate our sin, and want to stop doing those things that are not pleasing to Him.

July 29
  And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  (Dt 10:12, NIV.)
	God does not ask us to do anything that is too difficult.  He knows that we are human, and that we have limitations.  Since He has done so much for us, we gladly fear Him, walk in His ways, love Him and serve Him.

July 30
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?  He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.  (Ps 15:1-2, NIV.)
	It is easy to know what the Lord requires or expects of His children.  We obtain righteousness by accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.  As we study His Word and seek His face, we come to know His truth and speak it in everything that we say.  God is pleased when His children come to Him because at that point, He is able to change us and make us more like Himself.

July 31
  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  (James 4:8, NIV.)
	God will come near to us, but we must first come near to Him.  We must purify ourselves by getting rid of every impure thing in us.  If we will do that, He will be faithful to keep His promise and draw closer to us.

August 1
  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.  (Ps 51:17, NIV.)
	Sometimes our hearts become broken when we see our sinful condition.  To have a contrite spirit is to be repentant, to turn away from our sins.  When we have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, God will not despise us, or turn us away.

August 2
  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  (Ps 51:10-12, NIV.)
	This is the prayer that God has been waiting for you to say.  When you pray this prayer from the depths of your heart, believe that God will indeed create in you a pure heart and a steadfast spirit.  You will never be cast out of His presence, and He will restore your joy.

August 3
You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  (Mic 7:19, NIV.)
	On the day that I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior, I confessed my sins, and He cast them into the sea.  His blood washed them away and made me clean.  That day, I became a new person, free from the stains that my past had left on me.  If you do not yet know Jesus, that same freedom is there for you as well.

August 4
  "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.  (Isa 43:25, NIV.)
	All the good works we could do would still not be enough to get us to heaven or to Him.  However, God blots out our sins and forgets about them for His name’s sake.  He does this in order to demonstrate His love and mercy toward us.  Though we are unworthy in ourselves, we are worthy because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

August 5
  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9, NIV.)
	The only thing separating us from God is our sin, but we can confess it and repent of it.  To confess sin is to admit that we have done wrong and ask for forgiveness.  When we repent, we turn away from our sins and focus on God, who can help us as we choose to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Let us get rid of unconfessed sins and turn our hearts toward God.  Then, He will forgive us and cleanse us.

August 6
  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  (Isa 43:18, NIV.)
	Since I have been forgiven and set free from sin by God’s mercy and grace, I do not have to dwell on the past.  I can move on, knowing that I can overcome weaknesses in Christ’s strength.  I am not the person I used to be, and now I can be who God wants me to be.

August 7
  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.  (Ps 40:2-3, NIV.)
	When I read through my journal entries from before I knew the Lord, I can only praise God and stand in awe of His power to totally change people’s hearts.  Where there was misery, confusion, lack of confidence and rejection, now there is joy, peace, hope and a strong confidence in Him.  Before, there was a song of loneliness and fear.  In its place, there is a new song of love to my Savior and best friend, Jesus Christ.  I am so glad that by His grace, He is daily changing me into His image and making me more like Him.  My prayer is that people will see the difference that He is making in me and come to Him so that He can change their hearts, too.

August 8
  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  (2 Cor 5:17, NIV.)
	As we grow in Christ, we are being made into His image and likeness.  The old sinful nature is being stripped away, and a new Christlike nature is being put in its place.

August 9
  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  (Isa 43:19, NIV.)
	Lord, when I am going through what seems to be a dry spell, I know that you are preparing me for what you have for me.  I will not become discouraged.  Even though I do not see what you are doing now, I will watch and see as you make a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

August 10
  However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”  (1 Cor 2:9, NIV.)
	If someone had told me five years ago that I would be writing a devotional book or doing any of the things I am doing now, I would have laughed in his or her face.  However, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our fear of stepping out slowly fades away, and we find ourselves doing things we never thought possible.

August 11
  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  (Matt 18:4, NIV.)
	Children have a genuine, unwavering trust in their parents.  They know without a doubt that their parents will always take care of everything, so they are not afraid. God is our Father, and we cannot truly know God until we humble ourselves as little children and entrust our lives completely into His care.

August 12
  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  (2 Cor 3:17, NIV.)
	You have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and now the Holy Spirit is living in you.  Did you know that this means that you are free?  You are not bound by sin anymore, but free to live a life of peace and joy that is God’s will for you.  The Holy Spirit lives in you, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

August 13
  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  (John 8:32, NIV.)
	Where does our new freedom come from? We came to know the truth when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior because His Word says that He is the truth.  Instead of being held captive by the deceptions of this world and the enemy, we are made free because we have found the truth in Jesus Christ.

August 14
  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  (John 8:36, NIV.)
	Some Christians are under the assumption that they still have to live in sin because they cannot defeat it.  This is not true because we are made free through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  If He has set us free, we are truly free.  This means that sin and weakness have no power over us.  We are free to be the servants He has called us to be.  We are free to love others unconditionally.  We are free from fear of what others think of us.  Knowing this, we can give thanks to God and walk confidently in the freedom that He has given us.

August 15
  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  (Gal 5:1, NIV.)
	When Christ sets us free from sin, we do not go back into our old sinful ways, but we go forward and become who God has called us to be.  This is a life of holiness and righteousness only made possible through Jesus Christ.

August 16
  "‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.  (Num 33:55, NIV.)
	Moses gave this message from God to the Israelites as they were about to possess their God-given land.  It also applies to us, as God’s children.  If we are to truly walk in the victory and freedom that God has given us, we need to get rid of each and every part of us that is not pleasing to Him as He brings it to our attention.  Until we do so, we will be miserable, and hindered from truly knowing the Lord and having an intimate relationship with Him.  What inhabitants have you not driven out of your land?

August 17
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  (Rom 13:12, NIV.)
	It is easy for us to get caught up in our sin and weakness, but this is not God’s will for us. Let us choose to turn away from the darkness and the old way of thinking, and walk in the light.

August 18
  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Heb 12:1-2, NIV.)
	In Hebrews chapter 11, we read about men and women whose faith in God changed their lives and changed history.  We serve the same God today.  He will do the same for us if we do as those people did and live strictly by faith in God.  As Jesus joyfully endured the cross, we must joyfully endure the crosses that we have been given.  As we do this, we will see the Lord do great things in our lives.

August 19
  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  (1 Pet 1:14-15, NIV.)
	Since we now walk in the newness of life that comes from knowing Jesus, we do not want the things we used to want.  Our conversation changes, and we do not talk the way we did when we were in the world.  As we mature and grow in Him, we become holy, since He is holy.

August 20
  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  (Eph 5:4, NIV.)
	We no longer talk about the things of this world because they are no longer important to us.  They have become unnecessary foolishness.  Obscenities and negative words have been replaced with words of thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done in us.

August 21
  Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  (Ps 141:3, NIV.)
	Since we are no longer in the world, our desire is for our conversation to be pleasing to Him.  Let us pray this prayer so that the Lord will guard our mouths and help us to choose our words more carefully.  Then, let us speak only words that please Him.

August 22
  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  (Ps 19:14, NIV.)
	What kinds of words and meditations are pleasing to Him?  Words that lift up and encourage our brothers and sisters instead of discourage and tear them down are pleasing to Him.  Instead of dwelling on the past and on our present problems, we can choose to meditate on His Word and on the many blessings that He has given us.  God is pleased when we pray the prayer in this verse.  He sends His Holy Spirit to help all of our words and thoughts to be pleasing to Him.

August 23
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things.  (Phil 4:8, NIV.)
	This scripture is an excellent checklist for our thoughts.  Since we know that negative thoughts are not noble, pure, lovely, and not often true, we know that they are not of God.  Therefore, we choose not to think on those things.  Instead, we focus our minds on what is true, right, noble, etc.

August 24
  You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  (Matt 12:34, NIV.)
	What kinds of things do you let into your heart?  Do you fill it with the junk of this world, or do you fill it with the Word of God and all the good things He has for you?  Your tongue is like a window that allows the viewer to see your heart.  People can tell what you put into your heart by the words you say.  Lord, help me to get rid of all the junk from this world and fill my heart with Your Word.  Then, I will bring people closer to You with the good words that I speak.

August 25
 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  (Prov 18:21, NIV.)
	We do not realize how much power is in our words.  The tongue has the power to bless or to curse, to speak life or death.  Lord, help me to choose my words more carefully.  Instead of tearing down my brothers and sisters, help me to say words that build them up and bless them.

August 26
  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.  (Rom 12:2, NIV.)
	Since we are now free in Christ from sin, we do not have to conform to the world’s ways, thoughts or desires.  The worldly pleasures that we held so dear are now meaningless and unimportant to us.  Our only desire is to be like our Lord, the one who gave us this wonderful freedom.

August 27
  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  (2 Cor 3:18, NIV.)
	How do we become transformed into His likeness?  This happens when we read His Word, spend time getting to know Him and seeking His face and through the tests and trials that we face.  We are not changed immediately into His image when we accept Him.  It takes time and patience on our part for Him to mold us and make us.  We see ourselves with our many weaknesses, but He sees the glory that He will bring about in us.

August 28
  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  (2 Cor 4:16, NIV.)
	As our physical bodies age, they deteriorate.  Thank God, this is not true with our inner man.  As we grow in the Lord, the inner man is being renewed day by day.  Instead of deteriorating, he grows stronger, and becomes more like his maker.

August 29
  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  (Matt 19:26, NIV.)
	When it seems that I have been given something too difficult to do, I do not allow myself to become discouraged.  I remember that although I may not be able to pull it off by myself, I can with the help and strength of the Lord.  With me, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

August 30
  Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."  (Gen 18:14, NIV.)
	Sometimes, we do not take our problems to the Lord because we think they are too big for Him to solve.  Nothing is too difficult for the Lord.  If He can give a child to a barren woman, He assured that He can meet your biggest need today.

August 3
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Phil 3:13-14, NIV.)
	Though I have been walking with the Lord for a long time, I am far from being perfect.  If I make a mistake, I will not dwell on it.  I will simply ask for God’s forgiveness, turn from the sin, learn from it, and go forward in what God has called me to do,

September 1
  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  (Phil 1:6, NIV.)
	I become easily frustrated and impatient with myself if I do not see immediate growth or change in my own life. Things may be moving slower than I would like them to, but I can be sure that God has not given up on me and He never will.  He is still working in me and is not finished yet.  He will not be finished until the return of Jesus Christ.

September 2
  He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  (Mic 6:8, NIV.)
	We spend so much time wondering what we are supposed to do as God’s children.  The answer is found in this verse.  We “act justly” by following God’s commandments and doing the right thing.  To love mercy means to appreciate how merciful God is to us and then show mercy to others.  To walk humbly with our God is to know that He is always in control, and to let Him be greater than everything else in our lives.

September 3
  The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.  (Ps 29:11, NIV.)
	Thank you, Lord, for your strength and your peace.  Because of your strength, I have confidence that I can do all that You have called me to do.  Because You have blessed me with peace, I can be secure in all circumstances.

September 4
  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  (John 14:27, NIV.)
	Before Jesus died on the cross, He left us and His disciples one of His greatest blessings, His peace.  True peace is nothing like what the world gives.  We do not have to be troubled or afraid because the peace of Jesus is with us always.

September 5
  You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  (ISA 26:3, NIV.)
	Sometimes, situations arise that are not peaceful.  Since my mind is steadfast, and fixed on the Lord, I can remain in peace.  I trust that not only will God give me peace, but He will help me through each situation.

September 6
  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  (Mark 4:39, KJV.)
As Jesus and His disciples sailed in a boat across the sea, there came a great storm, which tossed them to and fro.  As the disciples panicked, Jesus slept.  The disciples were afraid for their lives, but Jesus knew there was no need to be afraid.  Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the winds and waves obeyed His voice.  Since we have Jesus living in our hearts, we, too, can have peace as Jesus takes control of the storms that we face.

September 7
  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.  (1 Cor 14:33, KJV.)
	There are times when I become confused, not knowing what to do or which way to turn.  I simply need to remember that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.  As I trust in Him, He fills me with His peace and makes everything clearer.  I may not always understand God’s ways, but I have peace because I know that He will always lead me the right way.

September 8
  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.  (Phil 4:6-7, NIV.)
Instead of worrying about my present circumstances, I will pray to the Lord and give Him thanks. Instead of being caught up in my own needs, I will pray for the needs of others as well.  The peace of God goes beyond my understanding, and it is always there for me.

September 9
  I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  (Ps 37:25, NIV.)
	The righteous are not forsaken and their children do not beg for bread because the Lord is always with them, providing for their every need.  He knows what they need before they ask.  They trust that He will always provide, and He always does.

September 10
  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  (Ps 91:11-12, NIV.)
	God loves us so much that He sends His angels to keep watch over us.  They protect us from being harmed.  Sometimes they protect us from danger we do not see.  Just as He sends His angels, He also sends us, the members of His body, to minister to and help each other.  As the angels work to protect us, we should work in unity to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.

September 11
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  (Ps 46:1, NIV.)
	A refuge is a shelter or protection from danger or distress.  If we turn to God as our refuge in stressful times, He will always protect us and keep us safe.  No matter how weak we are, He is our strength.  He is an ever-present help, which means that He is with us right now to help us through whatever we may be going through.

September 12
  The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  (Ps 9:9, NIV.)
	To be op