Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12 (ESV)

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)

For me, sometimes the hardest part of getting anything done is…getting started.

When I was in school, it would be homework assignments, or chores. I’d do just about anything to not mow the lawn. But once I got started, the same thought always ran through my head: This wasn’t so bad. I should’ve just done this earlier, and I would’ve already be done by now.

Fast forward many years later, and it’s the same thing, but on different levels:

• Will I rise today with a joy-filled demeanor?
• Will I let go of that thing that I indignantly keep holding onto? Will I finally forgive myself and others for wrongdoing?
• Will I start on that bible reading plan I keep putting off?
• Will I start again to follow Christ and leave myself and my burdens behind?

Billy Graham talks about two essentials of a successful walk:

If any word could describe it, I would say surrender. The second word I would say would be devotion. Nothing can take the place of a daily devotional life with Christ. Your quiet time, your prayer time, the time you spend in the Word, is absolutely essential for a happy Christian life. You cannot possibly be a happy, dynamic, and powerful Christian apart from a daily walk with Christ. Christ is calling Christians today to cleansing, to dedication, to consecration, and to full surrender.

Read the whole devotional »

Each morning, His sun rises and shines on us (even when shrouded by clouds), reminding us of His fresh mercies given us. It’s a new day, and a new chance to please Him. And to start, we swing one foot out of bed and onto the ground.

To succeed in our walk, we have to take that first step. Sometimes, it’s taking another first step after stumbling in the dark or falling into the ditch, or straying from God’s intended, well-lit path for us. Let us confess, repent, and ask for forgiveness, and rejoin God in our walk. He’s patiently and lovingly waiting before you.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

This verse reminds me that fear is unnecessary when I walk with Him, no matter what the world and people in it throw at me.

I’m learning more and more every day to let go and trust God to just take over every moment and care. This is really important concerning immediate and future stressors, like the unknown…what will happen if (insert scenario here)?

But because He loves us so, we only need to devote our every breath, thought, and deed to Him, and we will have no need to worry. This doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes in our devotion, but we must earnestly and increasingly give our all for Him.

I’m tired of living in fear and stress, aren’t you? The Lord knows each of us has some unknowns and stresses ahead, but with Him before and with us, already knowing the outcome, why not enjoy our walk?

I choose to put my eggs in His basket. The world would tell you that a single basket is a huge gamble, but we know His basket is the ONLY safe bet.

From Billy Graham:

Down through the centuries in times of trouble, temptation, trial, bereavement, and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him. The Bible is crowded with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart.

Read the whole devotional »

Today’s soundtrack

Chris Tomlin’s “Whom Shall I Fear” reminds us that the God of Angel Armies is always by our side.

But there are basic, essential truths that we need to keep and stoke like hot coals in our hearts’ furnaces. They’re not just helpful for connecting to others, but also to remind ourselves of the basic tenets by which we live and love.

My pastor once said that God made us with a hole in our hearts only He can fill. For those who don’t know Jesus, let’s show them what it’s like to walk with His fullness in our hearts.

A Billy Graham devotional on keeping it simple tells it wonderfully:

The great Swiss theologian, Dr. Karl Barth, was probably in his generation the greatest theologian in the world, and a great philosopher as well. I did not always agree with him, but he was my friend and I respected him. While he was in this country, a student at one of the seminaries said, “Dr. Barth, what is the greatest truth that ever crossed your mind?” All the seminary students were sitting on the edge of their seats to hear some great, profound, deep, complicated answer. Dr. Barth slowly raised his great shaggy gray head and looked at the student and said, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Read the whole post, with prayer, on the Billy Graham website »