The Greatest Among You

“The greatest among you must be a servant.” — ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

How do we measure greatness?

Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to serve others. As a Christian, our success isn’t measured by how much money we make, what kind of car we drive, or how many friends we have, but how we serve others.

God created each of us for a specific purpose, and that purpose will not be fulfilled until we choose to serve those who need help, and/or who need someone to shine God’s light into their lives.

Believing in Jesus is a good start. Going to church every week is great! Reading your Bible every day is a really wonderful habit to bring you, personally, closer to God. But if you want to live your life as a FOLLOWER of Christ, rather than just a believer, you must DO as Christ DID.

Lord, I want to care less about how I measure up to the standards of the world and care more about living up to Your standards. Lord, show me where You want me to serve, and I will be there, doing Your work, and treating people with love and respect, as You did. Amen

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where she told me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by Angela Anderson https://youtu.be/CShtdmrAUeM

Overcoming Temptation

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ve heard this verse a million times throughout my life, and loved it every time. The thought that God could give me the strength to resist peer pressure, turn away from sins that tempt me, and reject the urge for wrongdoing. It always comforted me, knowing that God would show me a way to be a better person than my natural tendencies steered me towards.

It’s funny though…I never applied it to any area of my life, other than my preconceived notion that God would only help me resist temptation when it came to righteousness.

While I had many bad habits in my younger years, I didn’t feel the need to ask God to take away the desires until I knew that I was in a place where I couldn’t resist these bad habits on my own. I would try to make positive changes and then fail. Get back on track, and get distracted. Move forward, then get sidetracked. Time and time again, temptations would win over me.

And this verse was here all along. Telling me the answer. The way out is through Christ alone. Our bad habits and temptations don’t stand a chance when we ask Him for the power to overcome them.

Dear God, I’m tired of letting this temptation rule my life. I’m ready to let it go. Lord, release me from the control this thing has over me! I know that I can’t do this alone, but you can give me the strength I need to move past this, Lord. Amen

What Keeps Me Going

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” — John 4:34

Jesus said that what keeps Him going is doing God’s will. It fuels His fire.

It nourishes Him – provides His energy. Provides LIFE.

Filling our days with doing God’s work gives us a satisfaction like a belly – full after a healthy feast. We gain strength and become more energetic. We feel content when we have that sense of “fullness.”

Dear Jesus, I want to eat the food You eat. I want my satisfaction to come from doing God’s will. I want to feel full of Your Holy Spirit. Lord, let me be nourished by doing the work that you created me to do. Amen

My Helper

But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! — Psalms 54:4

My favorite Bible version for every day reading is the NLT version. For me, it’s just the version that’s the easiest read. But when I sit down to study a verse or a passage, I like to compare several different versions. Sometimes the use of one different word will inspire me and, move me, or connect with me on another level that I would have missed by just browsing through on one version alone.

This verse today is just 2 short, but powerful sentences, but I had SUCH a hard time deciding which version spoke to me the loudest! Which version do I put in ink at the top of my page? I decided to go with my standard NLT, and then add some of my other favorite versions here.

Look at all the wonderful things that this verse tells us in its various versions…

– God helps me.

– God keeps me alive.

– God keeps me going.

– God keeps me from falling.

– God takes care of me.

– God upholds my soul.

– God sustains me.

I don’t know about you, but I need ALL OF THESE THINGS! Our God is so wonderful! There’s no question on where to turn when we need help. When we can’t handle things on our own, our helper is God.

No matter what we need from Him, He’s got us!! 💕

“But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going.” – Psalm‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

“You will help me, Lord God, and keep me from falling;” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

“But I know that God is the one who gives me help. My Lord takes care of me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those that uphold my soul.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭JUB‬‬

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my crutch, my refuge, my comforter, my provider, and my safety net. Let me never forget that You are the first place to turn to when I am in need! Amen

Eat This Scroll

The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.”— Ezekiel 3:1

God wants us to hunger for His Word like we hunger for food. He wants our craving to be for more of Him. He wants to fill us with His message until we are brimming with all He has to offer us.

He wants us to come to the table for a feast and not walk away until we are filled, and we are satisfied, and we are SUSTAINED by His Word.

Lord, Teach me to crave Your presence. Show me how to desire Your word. Invite me into Your buffet of verses and biblical stories that I have yet to discover. I pray that I always have an appetite that leaves me eager for more of You!

Amen

Every Kind of Trouble

One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. — 2 Chronicles 15:6

Sometimes God allows us to experience a little bit of distress to bring us closer to Him. We can’t solve problems that come from God through earthly measures. We need to go to Him for our solutions, because if we are in a situation that God has allowed, then only He can resolve it.

God I’m going through something that I can’t handle without you. I know that You have plans for me, God, and that you will work everything for my good. Please help me find the good in this. And while I am in this suffering, God, please give me the strength to endure. I surrender to Your plan, even when…especially when… I am in turmoil. Amen

Turn to Me Now

The Lord said: It isn’t too late. You can still return to me with all your heart. Start crying and mourning! Go without eating. – Joel‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Sometimes when we feel stressed out, our first instinct is to find a way to comfort ourselves.

When things feel beyond our control we may turn to food that we crave, or a night out with friends to cheer ourselves up.

When we go through hardships, we can relax by meditating or taking a long, hot bubble bath to wash away our anxiety.

When we feel useless or unworthy, we may set goals for things we want to change in ourselves, take up an interesting hobby that highlights our skills and talents, or make new friends that see our value.

We do these things to try to make ourselves FEEL GOOD.

Sometimes, we choose positive ways to lift our spirits, and sometimes we find ourselves giving in to bad habits that we know will chase away the blues for a short time.

When we are searching for something to lift our spirits, we should be searching for answers in the Bible. And when we’re seeking something that can numb whatever pain we’re feeling, we should be seeking His presence.

Lord, there was a time that I would run to find a cigarette when I had a day like today. A time when I craved a margarita when I went through a trial like this. A time when I knew that a GIANT bowl of ice cream was what I needed to get through something like this. Lord, I’m running to you now. Only you.

I know that it’s never too late and I’ll never go too far. I know you’ll never stop loving me, that you’ll always accept me as I am today. I don’t have to be perfect first. Lord, thank you for always being the one I can turn to when I am in need. Amen