The Daily Devotional Blog

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Romans 12 :2 says,  "Do not conform 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."  It's about staying focused on God. It's easy for us to get distracted by so many things, but we must use as much discipline as possible in order to meditate (reflect, ponder, think) on the things of the Lord. For those of you on the right road, stay on it and don't veer off from the positive road you're on. Keep going, because the enemy wants us to get sidetracked. It doesn't matter what comes against you. It doesn't matter what comes against me. God has our back. Yes, so we have to focus, because that's the key, right? Focus is the key to transforming our minds and continuously renewing it by reading God's word and keeping an on-going relationship with Him. Those things

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people." Exodus 13 :21/22 That's was what happened when the Lord lead the Israelites out of Egypt -- after the pain and bondage they were in. And God will also lead you out of any challenging situation you may be in right now. If you are in a good place today, then that's awesome. God brought you through. And ff you going through some changes, then let this be inspiration that God will give you a pillar of fire at night as He leads you and a pillar of cloud in the daylight as He guides you. That's right, He will take care of you. He will lead you. Walk in His ways and watch where He takes you. You will get to the promised

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Are you focused on the important things God wants you to do or are you letting distractions get the best of you? Is time running out for you or are you using your time wisely? Do you know the time is now to do what the Lord told us to do? Let me tell you, I know all about distractions and I know all about lazy time. And I don't want anybody else to live there. I spent too much time there years ago and that was then and this is now. I'm not going back to those ho-hum days of doing nothing and being nothing. I know all about putting things off and procrastinating like it was nobody's business and I know those are not traits that help anybody. So, I'm asking these questions to you and I'm asking them for I. That's right.  The point is, we don't know when we may run out of time, right? So let's just do it, right? Why not just do what it is we're here to do? So far, it's not too late as

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I’m going to make a change for once in my life. It's going to feel real good, I'm going to make a difference, I'm going to make it right. As I turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowing my mind. I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat. Who am I to be blind pretending not to see their needs? A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top, and one man's soul. They follow each other on the wind you know, because they got nowhere to go. That's why I want you to know, I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways and no message could have been any clearer. If you want you make the world a better place take a look at yourself and then make a change. I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love. It's time that I realize that there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan, could it be really me pretending that they're not al

Have you ever heard that,  “a joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones?” ( Proverbs 17 :22).  When we have a cheerful, happy, and exuberant heart, it's like getting good medicine from God without having to down one single pill. Isn't that awesome? All we have to do is get into the presence of the Lord and just like that -- automatically, our entire countenance can change in an instant. Our spirit can be rejuvenated that quickly, like great medicine. Considering that, I rather be spiritually medicated on the Lord than anything else, wouldn't you? When we continuously develop and refine our relationship with Him, we can't help but be in better spirits and have a better and stronger heart. There can be chaos going on all around us and we can be the only one with a calm and joyous heart. That's because we know where our strength lies and when we know that we have a spirit that's alive and kicking when we are with God. It's goo

Follow along with blog post/transcript below. Do you know that when we make it a priority to meet with God -- to make appointments with Him -- then amazing things happen? Yes, it's true. And meeting with God means we get public rewards and public influence which can mean something different from person to person. On page 87, Casto says, he believes public reward is the power of God demonstrated through our lives. In other words, it's not how we are viewed by our family, friends, or social media -- it's how God views us.  I just posted a quote a on my Instagram page and it says, "My whole mindset has changed. I don't even have the energy to do certain things and be around [certain] people anymore. I'm just at the point in my life where if something feels like it's draining me, or fighting with my peace of mind and happiness, I'm not dealing with it." That quote came from Trent Shelton and I'm on Trent today, because he's speaking m

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." Isn't that another great testimony about God's mercy? That story comes from  Mark 10:46-52  and it's encouraging for a number of reasons. Namely, that Jesus had mer

"You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. She’s worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight—and be blessed! With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth; with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven." Need I say more about  Proverbs 3 :13-19 ? It's about wisdom today everybody -- knowledge plus application. Yes, that's wisdom and Solomon, the writer of the majority of Proverbs, said when we make friends with her -- Lady Wisdom -- it's more than money in the bank. Makes sense, right? Because wisdom has long life. Wisdom has leverage. And wisdom stands the test of time. Oh yes, it can hold water and it

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with transcript below. The blessed diligent are called blessed for a reason. It's because they do not stop. They continue on even when they're tired. Yes, the Lord blesses the diligent, the active, the persistent, the laborious.  Proverbs 10 :4 says, "poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."   That verse is saying something, isn't it? And can I be real today? Thank you. Listen, we can't expect to go to the next level if we are lazy, careless, and neglectful, right? We have to take our goals and aspirations seriously. Because God made each of us unique and wonderful, so there's room for everybody to do what they were born to do. Yes, nobody else has your DNA and nobody has mine. So let's take our rightful name -- the blessed diligent. That't it. 

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with transcript below. Isaiah 43 :19 says,  "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." God is working. Do you feel it? Do you sense it? Because, He's doing what only He can do -- something abundantly amazing. Something fresh. Something that needs to change for the better. Isn't that great news? I hope you're ready, because great things are coming, so continue to believe it and say it. If you believe it, you can achieve it. So, don't limit yourself by what is seen with your natural eyes. Put your unlimited faith on and trust in what God's Word says, which is so much. Remember  Philippians 4 :13 says  'you can do all things through Him who strengthens you .' So believe that new things are coming and better things are coming. Be strong in the Lord. Just to believe that sometimes we have to be strong in th

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. < I've heard many people tell the story of David and the evil giant Goliath, but I've never heard anyone say that there were actually two giants in the story. One was Goliath and the other was David.  Yes David.  1 Samuel 17   tells the story of how David killed the giant punk Goliath by casting a stone that hit him in the forehead. Goliath wasn't used to anyone going up against him. He would taunt the people of God and they were all afraid of him. He was a bully that ran his mouth all the time, but David was the one who eventually shut it forever. Who would have ever thought the little ruddy David would be the one who defeated a great big giant? Goliath was the natural giant standing at "six cubits and a span"  (v 4) , which meant he stood 9'6"! Yet David was the real giant and although he was naturally short compared to even regular sized men, he ran towards Goliath. He didn't ru

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know God talks to people everyday? The question is, do we hear what He has to tell us? I don't know about you, but I can most definitely identify with that. I remember a time when I let life's problems and challenges drown out the voice of God. I didn't hear Him, because my focus was on other things. My concentration was on worrying about the things in life that were causing me pain. That's exactly what I did and I missed Him in so many ways. But that was then and this is now. I know that instead of running away from God, I should have been running to Him. I finally came to the conclusion that I couldn't work through any situation in my life if God wasn't a part of it. And I came to understand that I needed Him and I wanted to hear from Him. I needed Him to help me sort out some things in my life and He did just that.  Isaiah 40:28:31  says: Have you not known?Have you not heard? The

Psalm 126 :5/6 says: “those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” And another version says: “those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.”  Ain’t God good? That is what He wants His people to know. That you will be restored; you will be vindicated; and you will get back everything you lost and more. Yes, take heart and know He would restore you and give you glory. Just stay encouraged in Him. Because yes, He will give you more — more joy and more abundance. Don’t lose hope; don’t give up; and don’t give in. The Lord is with you. He never left you. Remember your shouts of joy.

Follow along with blog post/transcript below. "Prayer is the door that allows God to get involved more precisely in the affairs of our lives." That quote comes from Mark Casto, author of the book,  When Misfits Become Kings . It's part 6 of our on-going book study, chapter 5 titled, Secret Prayers, Public Shadows.  Do you have a prayer life where you speak to God and He speaks to you? If so, awesome, God's shadow and power follows you. If not, well I'm here to tell you that you can have a secret (or intimate) prayer life. Secret prayers involve speaking to God and reading His Word. I'm finally getting to the point where I'm starting to know what the secret place really means in my life. I have been saved for about 20 years now and God continues to reveal Himself to me, so for me that secret place is real. And I meet God there in a way that works for me. Your secret place and its process may differ from mine, so you have to do what works for you.

Do you know that it doesn't matter what comes our way, we  will  make it? Yes, believe it, because when we know the promises the Lord God has made over our lives, we will make it. We can’t concern ourselves with nonsense, negativity, or vindictiveness. We have to stay focused on truth, positivity, and forgiveness. Jesus stood for those great things, because He was love and walked in love  ( 1 John 4 ).  And  Isaiah 43 :2  says,  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will no t  set you ablaze.”  So believe that you will make it and you will, as you continue to fight for your right to do so. We have to rise, shine, and stand. Past, present, and future circumstances don’t matter. What matters is that God is in control of the things we can’t control.   And when we do all we can do to stand on God’s Word, on His love, He will come th

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I've come to remind you that God remembers what He promised you. He still has favor, grace and mercy for you and His promises never come back void when we believe Him at His word. He is also and always will be a forgiving God. We have to have faith that He will do what He said He would.  And when we put all our trust in God and not the enemy (the devil, because he is a liar, a big one), God will be there forever and ever, amen. While the enemy wants to convince God's people that there's nothing for them, God is saying He still has something for you. Remember,  Jeremiah 29 :11?  It says,  "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God remembers us. So we can rely on Him and His word and that makes speaking over our lives easier.  Proverbs 30 :6  says   God   is a shield to those who take refuge i

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I read two quotes the other day. One said, "hitting rock bottom has produced greater leaders than having an easy life" and the other said, "there are no strong people who have had an easy past." And I totally agree with both of them.  Let me ask you this: Can you name one person in the bible who was a great leader who didn't go through anything? Can you a great leader who wasn't in the bible who didn't go through anything? I cannot. So, what does that mean? It means that if we have been through tough waters and we're willing to admit it, acknowledge it, and shame the devil, then God can indeed use us. On the flip side, if we live in denial and act as though we live a pristine life of perfection and never suffered shame, defeat, humiliation, trauma, hurt, embarrassment, loss, difficulty, pain, betrayal, confusion, etc., then God won't waste a minute on using us to connect with peopl

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Today a student said something that really touched me. She said she loved the future. I never heard anybody say that, especially a teenager. I told her I thought she loved the future, because it meant she had hope and hope is a great thing to have. I told her there were many people who didn't have hope and who didn't look forward to tomorrow. And that she was looking forward to the unknown, because she knew it had great things in store for her. I can be around a person like that forever. I just love that type of energy, because it's contagious. Hope and faith are pretty much the same thing, because alot of hope -- if that's possible -- equals a mustard seed of faith. And you know about mustard seeds. They're excessively small, but once they burst open, watch out. It's an explosion of goodness all over. Don't you just love a faithful attitude? I do. Jesus said,  "if you have faith as small

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I have a friend who is a backsliding Christian. Yet she continuously uses God's word over her life. She's not living the way a traditional Christian lives, but let me tell you, she believes what the bible says and she has several verses that she quotes all the time. Her life is pretty abundant too. What do you think about that ? I can tell you what I think about it and that is, God's word works when we work it. It doesn't work for just Christians, right? We see it working for non-Christians too. Now why do you think that is? Well, for starters, they believe what they speak over their lives. They believe it and they make things happen. They don't just recite scripture, pray, wait until the cows come home, sit around, and do nothing. They get out there and they do the thing. Yes, they are serious about what God says they can do and you see it in their lives. In the book,  When Misfits Become Kings,  autho

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. So I was looking at a person who posted her podcast numbers on a social media site. And I have to admit, they were very impressive. Her podcast was only published for less than 6 months and her growth was remarkable. While looking at her post I thought about my numbers and how much longer I had my podcast, but how much smaller my numbers were. And for a quick moment I began to ask God why, but it wasn't 2 seconds later -- literally -- that I stopped mid-thought and said, 'I'm happy for her podcast and I'm happy for my podcast too.'  You see how quickly I shifted my thoughts? You see how quickly I chose to be happy for someone else? You see how quickly I could have wasted time on thinking her podcast and mine had anything to do with each other? I could have gotten in another head space that was totally ridiculous and unnecessary. Yet I refused to waste my time and if I wasn't careful I could have p

Have you ever the story about how Jesus came to be baptized? This is how it happened: "And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany acr

Follow along with blog post/transcript below. "Do you want God's hand only, or would you like to experience His face?" That quote comes from Mark Casto (page 42) in his book,  When Misfits Become Kings. And in our on-going book study part 5, chapter 4 titled, "Public Signs that Lead to Secret Encounters", the chapter is about the misfits God uses who have a relationship with Him and who don't simply watch Him in action in other people's lives. No, they are the people who hear from God themselves.  We know that having continuous communication with God enables us to know what He wants from us and to proceed accordingly, right? A godly relationship helps us to weed out the erroneous, false, misleading, and wrong statements and comments people sometimes make to us. We have to know within ourselves what 'thus says the Lord' and we have to keep it moving even if those people are people of God. We have to know the voice of the Lord for ourselv

"Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." That was Paul in Philippians 4 :7-17 , talking to the people to get things right and order by not worrying. And instead, praying and of course loving the Lord God in the process. That's advice for us tod

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. There are so many remarkable people in the bible who went through the fire, but because of their faith, they come out unscathed. They didn't give in or they didn't give up when their back was against the wall. They continued on despite any obstacle around them. Do you know, when challenges come, if we will just continue to hang in there and keep trudging along, something great is bound to happen? It may not be right away, but eventually it will happen. Hebrews 11 tells about many of those people.  Sometimes I listen to a podcast or follow someone on social media and I love love love what they're doing. I look forward to listening to them or seeing what they're doing, because I get so much out of what the're doing or what they're saying. They're either full of wisdom, really funny, or they just have that something unique that makes them interesting and engaging to look at or listen to. They ad

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of t