Daily Devotional Free

  "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason", the saying goes. The ability to listen is an essential life skill. Counselors tell us to listen to each other. Spiritual leaders tell us to listen to God. But hardly anyone says, "Listen to yourself". We need to listen to ourselves in order to learn how others might be receiving our words. The Israelites could have used this advice when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. Within days of their miraculous deliverance, they were complaining (Ex. 16:2). Although their need for food was legitimate, their way of expressing the need was not (v. 3). Whenever we speak out of fear, anger, ignorance, or pride - even if what we say is true - those who listen will hear more than our words. They hear emotion. But they don't know whether the emotion comes from love and concern or disdain and disrespect, so we risk misunderstanding. If we listen to ourselves before speaking out loud, we can judge our hearts before our carel...

  Dear Lord, I bless You for the day you have made. I pray that I may spend this day rejoicing in Your creation. I pray for Your Holy Spirit to fill me with the joy of my salvation, so that Your light may shine through me into the world, that Your honor and glory may be known to all people. Help me to think before I speak, to check my heart. Help me to control my tongue and to express myself clearly so that I won't cause dissension. Set a guard on my lips. And now let me go forth praising you, O Lord, with all my heart, telling of all your wonders, with my words and in my actions. I will be glad and rejoice in you this day. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Amen

  Pastors make an easy target for criticism. Every week they are on display, carefully explaining God's Word, challenging us toward Christlike living. But sometimes we look to find things to criticize. It's easy to overlook all the good things a pastor does and focus on our personal opinions. Like all of us, our pastors are not perfect. So I'm not saying that we should follow them blindly and never confront error through the proper channels. But some words from the writer of Hebrews may help us find the right way of thinking about our leaders who are presenting God's truth and modeling servant leadership. The writer says, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account" (13:17, NIV). Think about that. Before God, our pastor is responsible for guiding us spiritually. We should want that burden to be joyous, not grievous. The passage indicates that causing grief for the pastor ...

  Dear Heavenly Father, as I face this new day, let me be aware of the work You have done for me as I slept. I praise You that Your loving care never slumbers, but has been with me while I was least aware of it. And, that You renew me and the whole world, fresh every day, preparing Your plans for me. I pray that I may seek Your will this day, Your plan for my life, and carry out Your plan in my every action. I lay my hopes and fears on an altar before You, that Your Holy Spirit may guide my hopes toward the light of Your holiness. And, may quiet my fears with the knowledge of Your infinite peace, in total confidence that Your grace will save me from the evils of this world. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within me all this day. Dispel our darkness and make us a people with one heart and one voice, forever singing Your praise. And, whatever I do in word or deed, may I do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen

  Do you know some people who need the Savior in their lives? In what ways we can share His love to them? There are a lot of ways, actually. But by asking wisdom in His Name, we can do it. We can share His love. How to share? Pray for it first. Let the Lord check our hearts. Let our motives be right in sharing His Word to others. Ask the Lord to guide you and lead you to the right words that you will be saying. Also, ask Him to prepare your hearts whatever might happen and you will be ready for it. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Point them to Jesus. He went here on this earth to save us. Pray for those people that they will receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, like yours. Christian life may not be easy but it will be worth it in the end. It is because we will be reunited with God in Heaven and experience eternal life.

  Dear God, blessed are You for ever. Great is your mercy for Your people. In the morning I cry out to You, Holy is Your Name. My sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what my lips tremble to name, what my heart can no longer bear, and what has become for me a consuming fire of judgment. Set me free from a past that I cannot change; open to me a future in which I can be changed; and grant me grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image. I bless You for calling me to be one of Your holy people. Remain in my heart, and guide me in my love and service all of this day. Help me to shine your light before others and lead them to the way of faith. Amen

Today, we celebrate the famous fad in the world, Valentine's Day. It is the time that we can express love to our loved ones by giving gifts and the like. They represent tokens of love. But, there is a love that encompasses above all things. Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples to "love one another," because "by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). The love that our Lord wants His disciples to have for one another is different from the romantic kind displayed between loving couples and the brotherly kind shown between friends or family. It's an unselfish love. The Greek word John used in Jesus' command is agape - God's kind of love that expects nothing in return. This is the love that encompasses above all things. That was what Jesus showed to His disciples when He "poured water into a basin and began to was the disciples' feet" (John 13:5). That is the kind of love He ...