Devotions from September 2023

Passage Read: Romans 2-3 Meditation Verses: 3:18-19 If Jesus honors me with rank and title and position, He's still Lord and God, and I remain His servant and creation. My relationship to Him doesn't change just because I've proven sufficiently faithful to warrant His honor.

Passage Read: Romans 4-5 Meditation Verse: 4:8 But for this moment, I can remember that my sins will never be counted against me because I believe Jesus is the Son of God, and He died for my sins and rose again to give me life.

Passage Read: Romans 6-7 Meditation Verses: 6:17-18 I should no longer behave as if I had freedom of choice, but as if all choice were taken from me. I should simply do wherever the Lord asks of me, whatever His Word commands me, and be…

Passage Read: Romans 8-9 Meditation Verse: 9:18 There is no fighting against God. There is no changing what He has decreed. Those who were chosen from before the beginning of the world will be saved; no one else will. If a people or person is…

Passage Read: Romans 10-11 Meditation Verses: 11:20-24 Salvation is not so cut and dried, according to this passage. It is not set by a single prayer or commitment made years before. It is active and living, and dependent on our current state of belief. If…

Passage Read: Romans 12-13 Meditation Verse: 12:6 I can take heart that Jesus doesn't expect me to do more than I'm able, but He rebuked His disciples for the littleness of their faith. I don't think He'd be pleased if I never grew or attempted…

Passage Read: Romans 14-15 Meditation Verse: 14:13 I shouldn't create stumbling blocks that God has not imposed. I shouldn't judge others on matters that God doesn't care about, like eating or abstaining from meat, observing or not observing holidays, worship styles or anything else that…

Passage Read: Romans 16 - 1 Corinthians 1 Meditation Verses: Romans 16:17-18 God's Word is true and reliable. Anyone who teaches something contrary to what is recorded and taught therein, I need to watch out for. If they're doing it deliberately, they are trying to…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 2-3 Meditation Verse: 3:3 I should not be jealous of anyone, neither should I quarrel. My goal isn't to impress others or compare myself with others, but to know Christ as completely and closely as possible. I don't need to teach…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 4-5 Meditation Verses: 5:11-13 All this talk of not judging is ignorant. It is designed to leave people in their sin; it cares more about keeping the peace at the expense of souls. As if this life were more important than…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 6-7 Meditation Verses: 6:2-4 I have no interest in being responsible for other people. I'd much rather be left alone and be responsible for only myself. In truth, being responsible for others is only tolerable if those in your care are…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 8-9 Meditation Verse: 9:24 Paul wants every believer to live as if only one of us will win the prize of eternity with Christ. Talk about outdoing one another! Not attacking others; even runners don't do that! That would violate the…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 10-11 Meditation Verses: 10:1-5 God is not mocked, and He will not be deceived. He knows those who belong to Him, those who fear Him and who walk in obedience to Him. He's not fooled into thinking that those who were…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 12-13 Meditation Verses: 12:1-2 I must continually trust God's Word over the wisdom of men, no matter how wise they may seem to be, no matter how devoted to God they seem to be. False teachers don't announce themselves by denigrating…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 14-15 Meditation Verse: 15:32 The resurrection of the dead is huge, and needs to be front and center. This life is not all there is and is not even the most important thing. Its only value is in what it contributes…

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 16 - 2 Corinthians 1 Meditation Verses: 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 Knowing Christ is a function of obedience to Christ. The more a person gives himself up in obedience to Christ, the more they will understand and know the Lord. The more…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 2-3 Meditation Verse: 2:4 It is never easy to confront someone about their sin. It is so distressing that I would rather leave them be, hope someone else would speak up or that God would take care of it Himself. But…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 4-5 Meditation Verses: 5:10-11 Lord, help me fear You more, and help me fear for unbelievers more, that I would be far more diligent to warn them and call them to repentance, that they might be saved. My love has grown…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 6-7 Meditation Verse: 7:1 Perfecting holiness requires understanding what holiness is, understanding what God desires, who God is, and doing it. It also requires ridding ourselves of everything that contaminates body and spirit. Anything unclean, anything that encourages sinful desires within…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 8-9 Meditation Verses: 8:2-4 Giving is far better than keeping for myself. Earthly treasure has little value unless it can be converted to heavenly currency, and that happens by giving to believers in need or giving to advance the kingdom of…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 10-11 Meditation Verses: 11:23-29 There is such arrogance among men and women today, to think they know better than Paul how we ought to live, to so boldly debate and argue with Paul's writings and so freely set aside anything they…

Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 12-13 Meditation Verses: 13:1-4 The only thing that hinders discipline is a community unwilling to cooperate with the discipline. Paul previously said that he was ready to punish the wrongdoers, as soon as the Corinthians' obedience was complete. Not that they…

Passage Read: Galatians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:3-5 I'm fooling myself if I think this age is all bright and beautiful, if any age ever was. If I think that, it's because I don't see with God's eyes, but with human eyes, comparing the worst ages…

Passage Read: Galatians 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:5 Lord, give me the courage and the faith to see Your power, and work Your power among us. Let us see miracles, healing, true repentance, dramatically changed lives. People truly living for Your kingdom rather than the world.

Passage Read: Galatians 5-6 Meditation Verse: 5:3 I do need to stop following my sinful nature, since that's what Christ died to save me from, but He has also made me wholly righteous, even as I need to train myself to walk in that righteousness,…

Passage Read: Ephesians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:18-20 May God help me to understand and appreciate and be blown away by these three things. I can only imagine how greatly it will change my life, how I live and what I live for. May He also…

Passage Read: Ephesians 3-4 Meditation Verses: 4:17-19 Instead of walking after my flesh, seeking experiences that make me feel alive, I need to seek God, walk in obedience to Him and be transformed by His Spirit. Then I will restore my sensitivity to Him and…

Passage Read: Ephesians 5-6 Meditation Verses: 5:5-7 No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Interesting that he puts it that way: There is the kingdom of Christ, which would be His millennial reign, and the…

Passage Read: Philippians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 2:14-16 Just by doing everything without complaining or arguing, we can shine like stars in the universe, even as we hold out the word of life. People may not like the idea that we have to repent of our…