It was a tense trial. The man who was facing severe charges needed someone to testify to his trustworthiness. One of his friends was called to the stand as a witness. He was asked, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
He quietly responded, “Yes, I do.”
The judge turned to him and asked, “Do you understand the meaning of that oath?”
“Yes, your Honor, I do,” he replied. And then added, “But under those conditions, I don’t have much to say.”
What a thoughtful, cautious response. He had much that he could say, but he was clear about what he would not say. His mind was “full,” but he chose to keep his mouth “empty.”
Whatever we put into our minds eventually comes out of our mouths and is ultimately seen in our behavior. Paul advised us to “program” our minds to “Think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and worthy of praise.” What a challenge!
If we take Paul’s advice seriously and pause to consider the importance of what we allow to enter our minds, we might be quite surprised. As people of “habits,” we do things out of routines that have been established over the years. These routines define who we are. So...
Whatever we look at or read, think on or talk about, listen to and meditate on, will impact the way we behave. There is a predictable path: from head to heart to habit
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill our minds with thoughts that come from Your Word that will draw us so close to You. Then we will speak words that are “worthy of praise.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. Philippians 4:8
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The Limits Of Truth
It was a tense trial. The man who was facing severe charges needed someone to testify to his trustworthiness. One of his friends was called to the stand as a witness. He was asked, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
He quietly responded, “Yes, I do.”
The judge turned to him and asked, “Do you understand the meaning of that oath?”
“Yes, your Honor, I do,” he replied. And then added, “But under those conditions, I don’t have much to say.”
What a thoughtful, cautious response. He had much that he could say, but he was clear about what he would not say. His mind was “full,” but he chose to keep his mouth “empty.”
Whatever we put into our minds eventually comes out of our mouths and is ultimately seen in our behavior. Paul advised us to “program” our minds to “Think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and worthy of praise.” What a challenge!
If we take Paul’s advice seriously and pause to consider the importance of what we allow to enter our minds, we might be quite surprised. As people of “habits,” we do things out of routines that have been established over the years. These routines define who we are. So...
Whatever we look at or read, think on or talk about, listen to and meditate on, will impact the way we behave. There is a predictable path: from head to heart to habit
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill our minds with thoughts that come from Your Word that will draw us so close to You. Then we will speak words that are “worthy of praise.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. Philippians 4:8
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
He quietly responded, “Yes, I do.”
The judge turned to him and asked, “Do you understand the meaning of that oath?”
“Yes, your Honor, I do,” he replied. And then added, “But under those conditions, I don’t have much to say.”
What a thoughtful, cautious response. He had much that he could say, but he was clear about what he would not say. His mind was “full,” but he chose to keep his mouth “empty.”
Whatever we put into our minds eventually comes out of our mouths and is ultimately seen in our behavior. Paul advised us to “program” our minds to “Think about things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and worthy of praise.” What a challenge!
If we take Paul’s advice seriously and pause to consider the importance of what we allow to enter our minds, we might be quite surprised. As people of “habits,” we do things out of routines that have been established over the years. These routines define who we are. So...
Whatever we look at or read, think on or talk about, listen to and meditate on, will impact the way we behave. There is a predictable path: from head to heart to habit
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill our minds with thoughts that come from Your Word that will draw us so close to You. Then we will speak words that are “worthy of praise.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. Philippians 4:8
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
Asking The Right Question
A salesman was calling on one of his favorite customers - an elderly gentleman who owned a country store. He found “Old Sam” sitting on the porch of his store, gently rocking back and forth with an old Labrador retriever lying quietly beside him. As he walked up the steps, he said, “That’s a beautiful dog. Does your dog bite?”
“Nope,” said “Old Sam,” as he continued to rock.
The salesman reached down to pet the dog. Just as he touched the dog’s head, it growled and snapped viciously at him. He jumped back and shouted, “I thought you said that your dog didn’t bite!”
“I did. My dog doesn’t bite. But that’s not my dog,” responded “Old Sam.”
All of us collect information. It is an ongoing process in everyone’s life. But the value of the information depends on the questions we ask. Otherwise, the information is useless.
Thomas, the disciple, known as “the doubter,” once asked, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know ‘the way’?” Jesus replied, “I am ‘the way’ and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus answered life’s most important question, and one everyone must answer: “Do you know ‘the way’ to God?” Jesus left no doubt about the route: We can only get to God through Him. “The way” that Jesus taught is established on God’s “truth” and promises eternal “life.”
Prayer: Lord, we thank You that Your Son clearly and consistently explained the only way to come to You is through Him. May, we in faith, accept Your “way.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
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“Nope,” said “Old Sam,” as he continued to rock.
The salesman reached down to pet the dog. Just as he touched the dog’s head, it growled and snapped viciously at him. He jumped back and shouted, “I thought you said that your dog didn’t bite!”
“I did. My dog doesn’t bite. But that’s not my dog,” responded “Old Sam.”
All of us collect information. It is an ongoing process in everyone’s life. But the value of the information depends on the questions we ask. Otherwise, the information is useless.
Thomas, the disciple, known as “the doubter,” once asked, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know ‘the way’?” Jesus replied, “I am ‘the way’ and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus answered life’s most important question, and one everyone must answer: “Do you know ‘the way’ to God?” Jesus left no doubt about the route: We can only get to God through Him. “The way” that Jesus taught is established on God’s “truth” and promises eternal “life.”
Prayer: Lord, we thank You that Your Son clearly and consistently explained the only way to come to You is through Him. May, we in faith, accept Your “way.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
Asking The Right Question
A salesman was calling on one of his favorite customers - an elderly gentleman who owned a country store. He found “Old Sam” sitting on the porch of his store, gently rocking back and forth with an old Labrador retriever lying quietly beside him. As he walked up the steps, he said, “That’s a beautiful dog. Does your dog bite?”
“Nope,” said “Old Sam,” as he continued to rock.
The salesman reached down to pet the dog. Just as he touched the dog’s head, it growled and snapped viciously at him. He jumped back and shouted, “I thought you said that your dog didn’t bite!”
“I did. My dog doesn’t bite. But that’s not my dog,” responded “Old Sam.”
All of us collect information. It is an ongoing process in everyone’s life. But the value of the information depends on the questions we ask. Otherwise, the information is useless.
Thomas, the disciple, known as “the doubter,” once asked, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know ‘the way’?” Jesus replied, “I am ‘the way’ and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus answered life’s most important question, and one everyone must answer: “Do you know ‘the way’ to God?” Jesus left no doubt about the route: We can only get to God through Him. “The way” that Jesus taught is established on God’s “truth” and promises eternal “life.”
Prayer: Lord, we thank You that Your Son clearly and consistently explained the only way to come to You is through Him. May, we in faith, accept Your “way.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
“Nope,” said “Old Sam,” as he continued to rock.
The salesman reached down to pet the dog. Just as he touched the dog’s head, it growled and snapped viciously at him. He jumped back and shouted, “I thought you said that your dog didn’t bite!”
“I did. My dog doesn’t bite. But that’s not my dog,” responded “Old Sam.”
All of us collect information. It is an ongoing process in everyone’s life. But the value of the information depends on the questions we ask. Otherwise, the information is useless.
Thomas, the disciple, known as “the doubter,” once asked, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know ‘the way’?” Jesus replied, “I am ‘the way’ and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus answered life’s most important question, and one everyone must answer: “Do you know ‘the way’ to God?” Jesus left no doubt about the route: We can only get to God through Him. “The way” that Jesus taught is established on God’s “truth” and promises eternal “life.”
Prayer: Lord, we thank You that Your Son clearly and consistently explained the only way to come to You is through Him. May, we in faith, accept Your “way.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
What Do You See?
The citizens of a small community were overwhelmed with discouragement. The drought had destroyed the crops of the farmers, and they were facing bankruptcy. The merchants were unable to purchase inventory for their stores because their customers could not pay their bills. And things went downhill from there.
Everyone was heartbroken and depressed except one elderly man of God. He invited the leaders of the community to his home for a meeting to see if he could encourage them to continue a little longer.
His friends came to his home and sat around his kitchen table. He asked them to turn from facing him while he hung a large piece of white paper on a wall. Then, he asked them to turn and look at it. As they did, he placed a black dot in the center and asked, “Gentlemen, what do you see?”
In unison, they said, “A black dot.” Not one of them mentioned the white paper that surrounded the one small black dot.
“Gentlemen,” he asked, “are there some blessings in your life that we can place around the black dot that might make it not so obvious?” One by one, they thought of the good things that they had been overlooking in their time of loss and grief.
God’s goodness sometimes disappears from our horizon. When days are difficult and nights are long, it is easy to see the dot and not the One who can remove it.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be aware of all that we have because of Your goodness and grace. Give us faith to endure the difficulties of life through Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
Everyone was heartbroken and depressed except one elderly man of God. He invited the leaders of the community to his home for a meeting to see if he could encourage them to continue a little longer.
His friends came to his home and sat around his kitchen table. He asked them to turn from facing him while he hung a large piece of white paper on a wall. Then, he asked them to turn and look at it. As they did, he placed a black dot in the center and asked, “Gentlemen, what do you see?”
In unison, they said, “A black dot.” Not one of them mentioned the white paper that surrounded the one small black dot.
“Gentlemen,” he asked, “are there some blessings in your life that we can place around the black dot that might make it not so obvious?” One by one, they thought of the good things that they had been overlooking in their time of loss and grief.
God’s goodness sometimes disappears from our horizon. When days are difficult and nights are long, it is easy to see the dot and not the One who can remove it.
Prayer: Help us, Heavenly Father, to be aware of all that we have because of Your goodness and grace. Give us faith to endure the difficulties of life through Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26
Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!
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