There is a quote from Shakespeare that says, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

How, you may ask, is this relevant in a Christian devotion?

Matthew 14 includes the account of Jesus walking on water. Peter sees him and when Jesus says “come” Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus. However, verse 30 writes, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
When Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus he begins to sink. His commitment weakens as he sees the wind and waves, begins to sink and cry to be saved. Verse 31 says, “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Our faith is the path through which God saves, supports, and motivates us on our Christian mission. Our doubts are traitors to that mission.

Dear Lord, Thank you for the support you give us in our mission. Help us push away the doubts that hold us back from living our faith fully, knowing that when we trust in you, we will have your peace and joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In may seem sometimes that events in our lives are rather random, we think “I was at the right place at the right time,” or possibly “the wrong place at the wrong time.” But for Christians, it is clear that this is not the case. God is continuously working either in us, on us, or through us to accomplish his will.

Philippians 2:13 tells us, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

And Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

And ultimately we know as Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

So when those seemingly random things occur, take a minute to ask yourself, if God is working in you, on you, or through you.

Dear Lord, help us live our lives with our hearts and minds open to what you are doing, so that we will more readily see your will in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I think we have all seen the basketball game with the half court shot at the buzzer that wins the game, or the “walk-off” home run in the crucial baseball game, or the seemingly impossible kick to win the soccer match, and the thousands of spectators in the stadium jump to their feet and cheer.

This is the image I envision when reading Luke 15:7, “..there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”

I can see the saints and angels jumping to their feet and cheering when someone who has rejected Jesus for years, drops his or her resistance and accepts Salvation.

Dear Lord, it is amazing to know that those in heaven cheer for the salvation of those on earth. Help us remember to do our part in helping those who are lost become saved. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Who is the better athlete, the record 100 yard runner, or the record marathon runner? We cannot really say, because to be the record holder in each takes the best, but these races are different and require different qualities.

In a similar way, we each have a different set of challenges in life, requiring different qualities and efforts to handle. We are each running different races.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us, ” let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith”

Though God has set a different race for each of us, keeping our eyes on Jesus and His teaching will bring us all to the same finish line.

Dear Lord, Help us keep our eyes on you as we run the race you have given us, so that we may stay on the right path to our eternal goal. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Occasionally you run across a passage in the Bible that just delivers a crystal clear message.

Proverbs 11:24 is one of these. In the NLT version it says, “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.”

I think it is significant that the passage doesn’t get into the details of what percentage to give, pre-tax or after tax, or to evaluate how much of the recipient’s contributions are used for administrative costs, etc. It describes a mindset of generosity. With this mindset, God will provide more than you started with.

Proverbs 11:25 goes on, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

I was reminded recently of an expression that sums this up. “You can’t out-give God”

Like the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25, If we do well with what God gives us, he will give us more.

Dear Lord, It is so difficult for us to counter our fear of not having enough. This fear can lead us to be stingy with the gifts you have given us. Help us overcome this fear, be generous, and put our trust in you to provide what we need and more. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.