Daily Walk Devotion

By Chuck Musselwhite

Daily Walk Devotion is a guide that helps you walk with Jesus. Based on Scripture, these devotionals provide encouragement and instruction for your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Coupled with your daily Bible reading this devotional will help guide you through the challenges that you face every day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chuck Musselwhite
• Release date: Nov 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781393655053

Chuck Musselwhite

After graduating from Vanguard University in 1994 he entered full-time ministry where he served for twelve years in various ministry positions. In 2006 he answered the call to plant a church in Vandenberg Village, Ca where he still serves. In 2017 he began to post daily devotions on his website dailywalkdevotion.com. He is married to his wife Jennifer and they have four children. 

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Live with Conviction

The life of a Christian is to be lived with conviction. We can’t wander through life aimlessly. Christ put a purpose in our heart and we are to live that out. That may manifest differently in each person, but the purpose remains the same: to glorify Jesus. Conviction allows us to fulfill that purpose. It determines what we will say yes to and what we will decline. Daniel lived with conviction that he wouldn’t allow to be violated.

Daniel 1:8

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

When Daniel and his boys Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being trained to serve the king, they were given food that was sacrificed to other gods. This was strictly forbidden for Jews, and Daniel took a stand. He didn’t protest but asked his supervisor if he could have just vegetables and water instead. It worked because after ten days, they looked better than the rest of the trainees. To live with conviction means that we will have to take a stand.

Living with conviction means we must be above reproach. That means no one can lodge a complaint against you that will stick. Daniel chose to live that way even though no one would’ve noticed. He lived with conviction and denied himself the pleasures of this Earth to remain pure before God. It is so easy to defile ourselves (do the wrong thing) when no one is looking. We need to live with convictions that are based on the Word of God not on what will impress other people. Don’t let the opinions of others circumvent your beliefs. Stand by them and let God prove them true.

Are you searching for significance? Frustrated that no one appreciates you? Realize that Jesus sees your work and knows your worth. Delight in Him and wait for His plan to unfold in your life. Strive to obey His Word and please Him. As you learn how to walk humbly, you will notice there will be more peace and joy in your heart. Remember that when we don’t get what we think we deserve, God actually may be protecting us.

Walk Humbly

There are a lot of experts who will tell you how to be successful and get the most out of life. The Bible tells us the secret to a satisfying life is to learn how to walk humbly. Daniel was a man who was marked by his humility. He never let his success go to his head, and he always made sure God got the glory.

Daniel 2:26-28

The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?’ Daniel answered the king and said, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.’

The king then has a dream that rocked him to his core. He couldn’t make sense of it, so he turned to experts, who were no help at all. He was about to get rid of them when Daniel stepped up and offered to help. When the king asked if he could make known the meaning of the dream, Daniel told him the truth. No man could interpret the dream; only God could reveal it. He had a chance to steal the spotlight and get all the glory, but he remained humble.

Daniel walked and counseled in the king’s court, yet always remained humble. He never saw his gifts as his own but given from God. He didn’t draw attention to himself but was available when God needed to use him. This elevated him in the eyes of God and man. He ended up being second in command.

Walk humbly. Don’t seek the attention or praise of others. Work in such a way where you give glory to Jesus Christ. Strive for godliness and contentment. The pursuit of people’s praises can be a trap. Be rich in good deeds. Daniel was a servant first. He never forgot his place and who he was serving. He lived with conviction and let that guide him.

The Mighty Have Fallen

The oak tree is the sturdiest tree known to man. Its thick wood and deep root system coupled with resistance towards drought enable it to weather almost anything. It can live to be hundreds of years old. So when a mighty oak falls, it is usually because of some disease. Humans are similar. We can endure almost anything except for disease. One of the worst diseases is something doctors can’t detect on a test or scan: ’pride. It eats us from the inside out and leaves us hollow inside.

Daniel 4:29-31

At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, ‘Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you.’

King Nebuchadnezzar got too big for his britches, as my grandpa used to say. He was impressed by the size of his kingdom and took all the credit for it. To correct his pride God, sent him through a time of humbling. He let him know through a dream, which Daniel interpreted, that he was a mighty tree that God was going to cut down. He lost his kingdom and grazed with the animals for seven years! The mighty king of Babylon had fallen.

Pride leads to the fall. Nebuchadnezzar was mighty, but he was too impressed with himself. That led to God taking his power away and turning him into an animal. It took seven long years before he would turn his heart toward God. Pride has a strain of stubbornness that runs through it, and we often don’t realize it until it’s too late. Don’t allow pride to eat you from the inside out. Humble yourself before the Lord and allow him to do the spiritual surgery necessary to eradicate this deadly disease from your heart.

The Writing on the Wall

Imagine you are driving down the highway and a billboard tells you your future. At first we would be shocked, but then we would probably stop and write it down. Our future isn’t written on billboards, but wouldn’t it be nice if it were? God chooses to get our attention in others ways. King Belshazzar received a message from God in a very abrupt way. You could say that the writing was on the wall and it didn’t look good.

Daniel 5:5-6

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale, and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

Could you imagine eating dinner one night and God starts writing on the wall? What destiny would God write for you? What would he warn you about? In the book of Daniel, as King Belshazzar was eating dinner with his guests, a hand mysteriously appears and starts to write in a language he doesn’t understand. The only one who could interpret it was Daniel, and what he had to say wasn’t good. King Belshazzar’s life would be taken tonight!

Of course, King Belshazzar was a wicked person, and he had the sacred vessels from Israel brought to celebrate the feast. This angered God, and that night Babylon fell. The lesson here is that we need to live our life with the knowledge that God is watching what we do. For some, that will produce sudden fear; for others, it will provide comfort; and for most, it won’t change anything. The question is that if God were to write something on your wall, what would it be? Would it say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant? Would it be, Depart from me, I never knew you? Maybe it would be, I’ve given you so much, I wish you would do more for me. One day the writing will be on the wall, we will give an account of the life we lived. Live your life in such as way where God gets the glory.

Set Yourself Apart

Daniel is a person we can model our lives after. He held himself to a high standard, worked diligently, and didn’t waver in the face of opposition. This opened doors to promotions and persecution. You have an opportunity to set yourself apart in the workplace through the work you do and the way you carry yourself. Follow Daniel’s example.

Daniel 6:3-5

Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.’

You set yourself apart by the work that you do. Do your superiors highly value your work? Would you be greatly missed if you left? That is the example that Daniel set. As Christians, your work ethic should be such that you are indispensable. While it may not go noticed and promotions may not follow, you do your work for the glory of God. Each day you seek His guidance and provision to do the job you are given.

Daniel set himself apart, and for that, he wasn’t liked by his coworkers. You have a choice to make at work: do a good job or be loved by your coworkers, rarely can both be done. Daniel chose to do a good job. He was a man of integrity and values. This set him apart from his coworkers, and they conspired to get rid of him. He stuck to his principles even at the cost of his life. God was faithful and delivered him from the lions. We need to trust God in these situations and not fear what man can do to us. Just as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:17, But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentile might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 

Glimpse of Heaven

Daniel got a glimpse of heaven. Heaven is often depicted as a place in the clouds with big gates and Peter sitting at a desk letting people in. I’m not sure where this tradition came from, but it is far from reality. Sure there will be pearly gates and streets of gold, but those will pale in comparison to the glory of God. He will be sitting on the throne and we will want to do nothing else but worship him. Daniel gives us a glimpse of heaven.

Daniel 7:9

A s I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.

Daniel has this amazing and alarming dream in Chapter 7. He sees these horrible beasts that invoke fear. After seeing these, he gets a vision of the throne room and the Ancient of Days. That is another name for God. He literally gives Daniel a glimpse of heaven. Daniel uses the best words he can find to describe this picture of heaven.

One day we will stand before God and take in all of His glory. We will fall on our face and proclaim, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty! There will be no more pain and no more weeping; it will be replaced by the fullness of His love. Just thinking about it should give you goosebumps. It will be a glorious sight. Something we should look forward to.

Until then, we should be worshipping Him. The signs of the times show us that we are close. Stand firm in your faith, remain faithful. Don’t retreat or give up. All of this must happen for Christ to return. Then you will see the Ancient of Days and everything will change. For now, you can find hope in the glimpse of heaven that Daniel gives us.

God Makes Himself Known

We often think if we can’t see something at work, it isn’t there. That is often the case of God in our lives. It is easy to forget He is there because we can’t see Him. We go on with our normal life without a thought of how God is working in our daily life. Then, all of sudden, God lets us know He has been there all the time. God makes Himself known to us and eventually the nations will know.

Ezekiel 39:7

I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel.

God made Himself known to Israel. As you read the last half of this book, you will start to realize how amazing God is. You will see a God who is not content sitting on the sidelines and watching. He is very active in our daily life and won’t be denied what is rightfully His. God is going to be exalted. He will set things in order and make things right. One day the nations will know that He is God.

God still makes Himself known in our lives. Is there evidence of the Almighty God in our lives? Do people see Him working? Is the Spirit flowing out of my heart? Is love a predominant virtue that I am known for? All of these areas are where God is exalted. Sure we want to see Him exalted from the heavens, but He wants to be exalted in our lives. Don’t lose hope when it doesn’t seem like God is close. Use that time to grow closer to Him through prayer and getting deeper into the Bible.

You Are Not Alone

Do you ever feel like you are the only one who is going through your struggle? Everywhere you look everyone is doing great, but you are suffering in silence. The Bible is very clear that you are not alone. Jesus suffered everything that the rest of us have gone through. He can empathize with us because He has gone through it too. Don’t let Satan push you further down by getting you to think you are isolated. Stand on God’s Word and find your strength in Jesus.

Hebrews 4:15

F or we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Jesus became human and experienced everything we have. He was tempted, yet He didn’t sin. He did this so that He could empathize with us. He knows our struggles, and He knows our fears. When we go to Him, we can go with confidence knowing that He has been there and that He has a way through it. Don’t try to get out of your situation; look for how God wants you to get through it. Where we are weak, He is strong. He may be developing in you a new strength. Trust Him with where you are at right now. Walk where He wants you to walk.

Come out of the Dark

The pressure of life builds up for everyone. It’s how we handle that pressure that makes or breaks us. Many people choose to cope with that pressure by indulging in private sin. That momentary escape gives them a brief respite from the stress of life. Unfortunately, that temporary fix becomes a necessity. It starts taking up more time than we want it too. Soon we find ourselves in a place where we can’t stop and we are too embarrassed to seek help. When we are finally exposed, there is a sense of relief. We are freed from that bondage that ensnares us. Come out of the dark and turn to Jesus.

John 3:19

F or God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

People love their dark places. They know it is wrong, but they hold it with everything they have. The pull of sin is stronger than most people think. We can walk in the light for a period of time, but eventually, we veer back to our secret vices and hidden places. The only thing that breaks this is repentance and being filled with the Holy Spirit. We cannot resist temptation under our own power. It takes divine strength to resist and overcome. It is not a one-time thing; it’s a daily decision and battle to flee temptation. Satan would like nothing better than to convince you that you can do it yourself—you can’t. Seek the Lord, confess your struggle to another mature believer, and ask them to walk with you through this. Come out of the dark today and experience the freedom of living in Christ.

Our Renewable Source of Life

Science is constantly looking for a renewable source of life and energy. Scientists try to harness the forces of nature to create clean and cheap streams of energy. All of this is done in hopes of sustaining and prolonging life. Humans are also looking for that fountain of youth that will keep them young and full of energy. They will try almost anything to look younger or live longer. As Christians we have an unending fountain of joy that is available to us. Jesus shows us in John 4 that He is that renewable source of life that we can tap into. It gives us life and energy that nothing else can match.

John 4:14

B ut whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is one of my favorite stories in the Gospel. We see an improbable interaction between Jesus and an outcast. She had five husbands and was living with a guy who she wasn’t married to. This woman was a mess, yet Jesus gives her hope. He doesn’t condemn her but guides her. He points her to the true source of life that never runs out.

Everyone is in search of the fountain of youth. They are looking for a renewable source of life that will not only sustain them but bring them joy. Some try to find that in family, others in fitness, still others look for it in financial security, but this joy only comes through Jesus Christ. If we will believe in and follow Him, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that life-giving source will be instilled in our hearts. The Samaritan woman was looking for life in all the wrong places. She found it in Jesus, and her life was never the same.

More Reliable than the Sunrise

If you are a morning person, you know the beauty of seeing the sun come up on the horizon. The colors that appear can take your breath away. It stirs something in your heart knowing that a new day is beginning. Few things on Earth are as reliable as the sunrise, yet Jesus tells us that He is more reliable than that.

Hosea 6:3

L et us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

There is nothing more reliable than the sun rising in the morning. It has never failed coming up. Sure, there are mornings where you can’t see it because of the clouds, but it is still there. God tells us, through the prophet Hosea, that He is more reliable than the sun. That means we can go to Him with the knowledge that He will be there. We don’t have to doubt—it is guaranteed.

Half of the battle is acknowledging the Lord. By that Hosea means recognizing God when we need Him. We are quick to think of ourselves, then we think of others, but Jesus is often the last resort. After we have tried everything and find ourselves in a hole we can’t get out of, we come to Him. Then we get a little relief, and off we go again on our own.

If we do acknowledge Him, He will appear like the sunrise and refresh us like the spring rain. Think about that for just a second. He is more reliable than the sun coming up in the morning. We can have total confidence in His presence. He also renews us like the rain. You never know how much you need that until you have entirely run out of options. God doesn’t want us to wait to get to that point. He wants us to acknowledge Him every morning and get our sustenance from His steady source of life. Start today by calling out to Jesus and watch as He renews your soul. As Hosea says, Press on to acknowledge Him.

Pursue Peace

Iread a story the other day where a guy sued everyone in his church. It didn’t list why he filed the lawsuit, but can you imagine that happening? What possessed this guy to take everyone in his church family to court? We have become so easily offended and quick to seek out justice when we’ve been wronged. The Bible tells us to act differently as Christians. We are to be quick to forgive and to pursue peace with each other.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8

W hen one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

The Corinthians Christians were suing each other. Paul is rebuking them for taking each other to court to have legal matters settled before ungodly judges. They should’ve gone before the church leadership. We don’t have to rely on the world to solve our problems; we can lean on God’s Word and His leadership to do it. What they were doing was an embarrassment to the church and to Jesus Christ for how they were handling disputes.

Beware of the pursuit of justice. We become so vengeful when we are wronged that we can’t see straight. God is the judge and we need to trust His judgment and His timing. We should’ve been judged for our sins, but through his grace, we were acquitted. Don’t hold out for God’s justice when you should be extending grace. As a Christian, you will be wronged, offended, betrayed, and hurt. Rejoice in that because it is proof you are a child of God. Let the offense be like water off of a duck’s back and move on. God has so much for you.

Prepare for a Harvest

Everyone wants to reap a bountiful harvest, but few want to do the work to prepare for the harvest. You can’t daydream your way through life—trust me, I have tried. Watching the wind, which you can’t see, and the clouds, which you can’t touch, are not bad if you do it once in a while, but if it is a daily occurrence, then you need to stop. If your head is continuously lost in fruitless pursuits, you will starve to death. No one who daydreams ever harvests a crop because they didn’t take time to sow seeds. You can’t expect anything out of nothing.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

H e who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 

Reaping and sowing is a powerful principle. Solomon says that if you watch the winds, you will not sow, thus will have nothing to reap. Watching the winds is just a saying that means we are wasting time. There is a lot of work that has to be done to prepare for the harvest. He exhorts us to be diligent workers. It’s too easy today to be lazy employees. We can appear to be working but be wasting time. We may still get a paycheck, but something in our spirit dies when we don’t do the work God created us to do. Put in an honest day’s work.

Our work ethic applies to all the areas of our lives. We have work and chores that need to be taken care of outside of our employment. Houses need to be cleaned, laundry needs to be done, and groceries need to be bought. We can’t skate through life expecting others to pick up our slack. If we are wasting time watching TV or playing video games when these jobs should be done, we are not being obedient to God. For there to be fruit in our lives, we must do the work necessary to prepare for the harvest.

Live your life in such a way that we honor God in every area. We can’t expect to be rich if we don’t put in the work necessary. No one is going to give us a bunch of money. The same applies to our homes. We aren’t going to have a faithful marriage, obedient children, or a healthy relationship with Christ unless we put in the work necessary to make it successful. Stop wasting time on trivial things and put your effort towards those that will have a lasting impact.

Is it Time for a Turnaround?

Do you feel like you are headed in the wrong direction? Is it time for a turnaround in your life? You are not alone. Fortunately, God specializes in turning around people’s lives. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve gone off the path, He is able to bring you back.

Isaiah 1:16

W ash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Israel was a mess when Isaiah arrived on the scene. Rampant sin and idol worship were the norms. God begins to use Isaiah to call Israel back to Him. He starts with consecration, or setting ourselves apart from our sin and making ourselves clean. There has to be a point where we break from our sin and ask for forgiveness.

Is it time for a turn around? Is your life headed in the wrong direction? It is very easy to dig ourselves a hole in which we can’t get out. No matter what we do, we can’t get ourselves out. The main problem is that our focus is too much on ourselves and not on what will help us turn things around. Isaiah gives us some excellent guidance on how to turn things around when we made a mess of things. 

Righteousness is vital in God’s eyes. Being clean and consecrated should be our daily goal. While we don’t earn anything from this, it allows for the movement of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. To experience the joy of following Christ we need to be clean. This doesn’t mean that if we sin and blow it we need to start all over, but instead we need to be free from continual sin in the same area. Isaiah tells us to put away evil and to cease from doing it. You might be reading this and asking, How do I get free from this? I have been struggling with this sin for years. The key is not just confessing your sin to God but also finding a godly person who you can confide in and ask them to help you break free of it. 

Walking in the Truth

Have you had to tell someone something that you knew was going to hurt their feelings? You almost made yourself sick worrying about how you were going to tell them. The temptation is to spin it in such a way that will alleviate their pain. Paul reminds us that we need to speak the truth. Say what you need to say in love, but don’t change the facts to make it easier.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.

Let’s be honest—it’s more comfortable to tell others what they want to hear than to be honest with them. We are afraid to hurt their feelings, and if we are honest with ourselves, telling the truth makes us feel uncomfortable. Dishonesty was an issue in the early church just as it is today. Paul encourages us to be honest with each other. We all know what it is like to find out someone lied to you. Walk in the truth.

We are to walk in the truth and put away all lying. We can’t expect to have good relationships with people if we aren’t honest with them. Honesty with our neighbor is the key to us loving them. Often we let little white lies pile up because we are embarrassed. We embellish what happened and make ourselves look good. Whatever it is, it erodes the trust that is necessary for unity. Honesty is a choice that we must make.

Honesty is hard to find nowadays. It’s easier to do what you want and then offer up a weak and insincere apology. We are called to walk in the truth of God’s Word. That means we are honest and we stand firm in the truth. We don’t waiver from it, and when we are dealing with those around us, we are honest with them.

Walk in the Light

Walking from a dark room to one that is well lit can be a shock to our senses. Our eyes squint, we move our hands to cover them until they can adjust, and there is a tingling sensation all over our body. Once we adjust we are okay, but until that happens, we are thrown off. Coming from a life of sin to one of following after Christ can be a similar adjustment. We know we are doing the right thing, but we were so much more comfortable in our past life. Paul tells us to walk in the light.

Ephesians 5:8, 11

F or you were once darkness , but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 

Coming to Christ means that we come out of the darkness and into the light. Sin shrouded us in darkness, and the blood of Christ removed that and brought us out into the light. Now we walk free from that sin and fully in the light of the Son. Each day should be a daily walk in that light. In that light we find truth, love, and grace. The light helps us to grow and deepen our roots which in turn produces fruit. There are so many benefits and blessings that come with walking in the light.

Be on your guard though. The darkness still lingers out there. The drawback of our old life is still strong. It starts subtly, but soon we are lingering in the shadows battling the temptations to jump headfirst into old habits. We also start to avoid the light and those who walk in it. Jesus won’t let one of His children languish in the dark. He will expose and reveal those things we are trying to hide. Running at this point is futile. The best thing to do is confess your sins and repent. If you are hovering near the darkness, take that step today and walk into the light.

Prepare for Battle

Asoldier knows when it’s time for battle. He can feel it in his bones, and his mind starts the mental preparation. He goes through a checklist in his mind of everything that he will need to take on the enemy. He wants to be prepared while at the same time unhindered by anything that will slow him down. As Christians, we are soldiers in God’s army. We cannot go blindly through life thinking that nothing stands against us. Satan is fully equipped to take us out. Our battle is different. It’s not physical, but spiritual.

Ephesians 6:12

F or we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

The battle is real. It’s not like what you see in the movies with armies facing one another. It is covert operations that seek to catch you off guard. The enemy is constantly plotting ways that will trip you up. He knows that if you stumble and are down, that’s when you are most vulnerable. If he can keep you down, eventually, you will give up. Much of the spiritual battle is in mind. The attacks of doubt, the bouts of anger, the lingering bitterness. 

We can overcome this, and it doesn’t require an ounce of our strength. What brings the victory in this battle is by using weapons at our disposal. They are the Word of God and prayer. When we fill our hearts and minds with Scripture, it raises our defenses. When we pray, it unleashes the power of the heaven on the rulers of darkness. Wickedness is overcome this way.

Equip yourself for the battle that is taking place. Be smart and sober. Don’t hunt out the enemy, but be ready for the subtle and deceptive tactics Satan uses to undermine your faith. Not everything is an attack, but knowing the enemy is out there keeps our mind sharp. Put on your armor and be on the lookout.

Wait For It

P atience is a virtue . That is what my grandma and mother used to tell me all the time. It was wise counsel that I had a hard time taking because I like to get things done quickly and efficiently. When I have to wait, my frustration level rises and I am not a happy camper. Fortunately for us, God is not as impatient as we are. In fact, he chooses to wait so that he can be gracious, show us mercy, and most of all, be exalted in our lives. We need to learn how to wait upon the Lord so that we can receive these.

Isaiah 30:18 

T herefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.

The lord is patient and full of grace. Read that verse again. He will wait so that He can be gracious to you. Think about this for a second—the God of the universe will wait for YOU so that He can give you grace. We are already undeserving of His grace and now we learn that He is patient in giving it to us. He will wait for us not wanting us to suffer. His goal is our maturity and sanctification. All of this shows the world how great He is. Next time you are getting impatient, realize how patient God was in waiting for you to receive His grace. 

God is also patient with us so that He can show us mercy. Mercy is not getting the consequences that we deserve. He shows us patience so that we don’t have to suffer through the agony of our bad decisions. He withholds His judgment so that we can receive His grace. God is patient so that we can receive His grace and mercy. We don’t get what we do deserve (that’s mercy) so that we can get what we don’t deserve (that’s grace).

This is all done so that God can be exalted in our lives. He wants to get the credit for the work being done to change us. He uses that as a magnet to draw others to Him. When people see the difference in our lives, they become curious about how that can happen in theirs. If we take the credit, we block the path to true change for them. If we give God the glory, they are presented with the opportunity for transformation.

A Father to Them

Everyone has two parents . They are responsible for our DNA, personality, and looks. Whether we like our parents or not doesn’t matter, they are still our parents. Nothing can change that. Paul started the church in Corinth. He was the spiritual father of many in the church. He led them to Christ, baptized them, and taught them the ways of Jesus Christ. After he left to start other churches, there were some who denied his place in their lives. Paul sets the record straight.

1 Corinthians 4:14-21

I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

As a parent, our job is to point out areas where our children are falling short of God’s standard. We don’t embarrass or humiliate them, but we do call them out for the sins and attitudes that aren’t acceptable. Spiritual fathers do the same thing. Paul is doing the same to the Corinthians. He isn’t trying to shame them but brings to their awareness their shortcomings. He is, after all, their spiritual father and he implores them to imitate him.

We all need examples that we can look to and Paul was one of the best. You can tell in his words that he loves this church and wants the best for them. Spiritual leaders point us to Scripture and encourage us to walk according to the Spirit. Sometimes that leader will have tough words for us to hear. We may be getting off track and need some correction. God may have sent them into your life for just that task. Listen to them and follow their counsel. 

Who Can You Bless Today?

We are much better people when we choose to serve and bless others. Each morning we should start our day by asking, Who can I bless today? It takes our focus off of ourselves and places it squarely on the other person. We need to look for those who we can bless each day. It will add richness and flavor to our daily lives. 

Philippians 2:3-4

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