100 Life-Challenging Devotionals: Emphasizes Evangelism and Christian Growth

By Pat Mann

These devotionals are intended to evangelize, educate, and inspire individuals to greater Christian growth. Some of them are used as tools in leading others to come to faith in God through Jesus Christ. They do not follow any theme throughout, so they are in no particular order. Users should choose one they deem appropriate for the occasion for which it will be presented. Use the titles as a guide to choose just the right one. These devotionals are used by some groups as a prelude to a Bible study class or as an opening, preceding a committee or board meeting, either for a religious group or a civil gathering. They are useful in nursing homes, pastors or auxiliary planning meetings, youth events, and campfire events. Some of the devotionals are appropriate to use for a short children's sermon. Travel groups enjoy a brief morning devotional before the day's activities begin, either in motel lobbies or on a travel bus. They also make great gifts for any occasion, such as graduations, birthdays, bridal showers, Christmas, Mother's Day/Father's Day, Pastor Recognition Sunday, or just a gift that says, "Thank you for all you do." Think about adding this book as kind of a "stocking stuffer" add-on with another gift appropriate for the occasion. Some individuals enjoy using the devotionals in this book for their own personal "closet time with the Lord." "These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31 KJV).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098037604

Book preview

The Most Important Thing

Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.

—James 1:22 (KJV)

The book of Proverbs describes about thirty different types of characters. The character most described is the wise man. In second place is the foolish man.

In Matthew 7:24–27 (KJV), Jesus describes the difference between a wise man and a foolish man:

Whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

So the differences between a wise man and a foolish man are "whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them…, that is the wise man. On the other hand, everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not…," that is the foolish man. Those are the words of Jesus.

It is one thing for you to have a lot of biblical knowledge, but if you do not apply that knowledge to your life and translate it into action, then you are not accounted wise. Only a foolish person would have knowledge of Jesus’ words and not live by them. It is foolish because no one can improve upon the words of the One who has all knowledge and all wisdom and all power.

It is foolish, in the first place, if you do not seek out what Jesus has to say. Many Bible publishers print Jesus’ words in red letters. What could possibly be more important than what your Creator, Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of God’s Trinity, the world’s Messiah, the one whose name is Emmanuel (God with us), has to say to you? Surely nothing could be more important.

Jesus visited in the home of His friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, in Bethany. Martha was busy about the many chores that needed to be done for their very important guest. Mary, however, chose to sit at Jesus’ feet to absorb every teaching that Jesus imparted to her. When Martha complained, Jesus said, She has chosen the best part. Who would want to have Emmanuel (God with us) in their living room and not take advantage of the opportunity to learn from Him? Again, nothing could possibly be more important than learning the words of Jesus and living by them.

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain. And when He was set, His disciples came unto Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them" (Matt. 5:1, KJV).

Prayer: Father, let the words of Jesus fill my life with wisdom that I may live by them. It is in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

While Christians Were Sleeping

The words of fools start quarrels.

They make people want to beat them.

—Proverbs 18:6 (NCV)

To speak or not to speak—that is the question.

Those who like to start arguments may be headed for pain upon themselves. It would certainly be foolish to start an argument when argument is not needed. A foolish man, however, enjoys starting arguments and stirring up trouble. It is sport to him. He likes to stir a pot even when nothing is in the pot to be stirred. The fool who enjoys arguments may dig up the dry bones of issues long past, just to engage in contention with someone.

One of the seven things God hates is "one who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:19, KJV).

The world has sufficient issues of contention without anyone going to extra effort to add more issues to the pile or to resurrect dead issues. Relationships broken, families destroyed, financial losses, avoidable health problems, communities at war, political upheaval. These can be significant negative results of insignificant issues kept alive by a fool.

Some issues exist that are worthy of contention. Sometimes even God’s people stay silent on matters that should be addressed. Ecclesiastes 3:7 indicates there is a time to speak and a time to remain silent. A wise person recognizes when it is time to address an issue and when to leave it alone by weighing the value of the issue.

Issues that involve biblical principles of morality, finance, politics, relationships, behavior, law, or any other guidelines predominant in Scripture are worthy to be upheld even if it means some contention with voices of opposition. You should confront those who want to destroy God’s truth, preferring falsehood, instead of truth. You live in an up-side-down world today in which, as the Bible says, "some call evil good and good evil" (Isa. 5:20, KJV). When God’s people stay silent on important issues, society slowly changes and leans on the side of immorality and indecency until one day Christians wake out of their sleep to see how much evil has become the expected way of life.

How did it happen? Christians were sleeping. You did not speak up when couples by the thousands began to live together in relationships and produce children without the benefit of marriage. You did not speak loudly enough when babies were being aborted for the sake of convenience. Now the count is in the millions for the United States alone. You remained silent while new legislation legalized recreational drugs that rob our young people of fully developed brains, all for the sake of monetary gain. You remember times when only two genders were the norm and only two kinds of restrooms were needed. You may remember times that vulgar words were never spoken on radio or television or in the presence of ladies. While you were sleeping, our colleges have been flooded with professors who indoctrinate rather than educate. Time to wake up! Speak up and make noise about these things rather than issues about what socks your spouse should wear today or whether or not you should cut your hair or shave your beard—the arguments of fools.

Certainly, you as a Christian prefer a peaceful existence, but never go along to get along when it comes to evil in our society. At least you can cast your vote on the side of truth and justice. Jesus never suggested that you would not have to face opposition but rather the opposite. You must put on the spiritual armor of God, engage the enemy, and brandish the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) while living in this world.

"They that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, KJV).

Prayer: Father, open my eyes to observe the evil that creeps subtlety into our world. Give me the wisdom to depart from the arguments of fools and the courage to speak and act against the encroachment of evil. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

What Fools Enjoy

A foolish person enjoys doing wrong, but a person with understanding enjoys doing what is wise.

—Proverbs 10:23 (NCV)

Afew years ago, a criminal court found some young men guilty of murder in the second degree. They were high on drugs when they decided it would be fun to beat up on some homeless people. They did not know the city had posted video equipment on some of those alleys. The cameras showed the men ganging up on a homeless man and beating him with a ball bat. Why did they do it? They just wanted to have some fun !

Johnny Cash sang a prison song with a line that says, I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Really cold line. Now, Johnny Cash did not actually do that—just a line in his song Folsom Prison. Some people, however, would actually do that, just to know what it feels like.

Wanting to know what it feels like may be why some people start smoking cigarettes, start drinking alcohol, start taking recreational drugs, or engage in immorality—curiosity perhaps. Perhaps for some it is a rite of passage—a grown-up thing, or simply peer pressure. These may be reasons why some people start bad behaviors, but it is not why they keep doing it. Those things have a way of getting their hooks into a person, and they will not let go without a huge struggle.

On your path to wisdom, you can become wise the easy way or the hard way. The easy way includes (1) learning, believing, and taking heed to the guidelines and advice as presented in Scripture. (2) Listen to the advice of your elders who love you and want only the best for you. (3) Pay attention and believe warning labels and signs. (4) Do not fall for Satan’s lies: no one will know; everyone is doing it; just one time won’t hurt; you won’t get caught; it’s what grown-ups and famous people do; the warnings are probably wrong; etc. These are the easy ways to gain wisdom before you make bad choices.

The hard way to wisdom is experience. (1) Learn from the results of making bad choices. (2) Learn from repeated failures. (3) Learn from penalties. (4) Learn from financial disasters. (5) Learn from relationship failures. (6) Learn from rehabilitation programs. (7) Learn by paying the price for not believing the warnings, etc.

It is a fool indeed who rebels against God-ordained authority. He does so to his own detriment. The wise man who respects God-ordained authority will avoid the pitfalls and traps that the Evil One spreads in his path.

"I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it that I will keep Your righteous ordinances [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them" (Ps. 118:106, AMP).

Prayer: Holy Father in heaven, let those who are young learn wisdom quickly from Your precepts. Let the elders pass along their wisdom learned from experience to those who are tender. May your Word indeed be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path all the days of my life (from Ps. 119:105). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

What a Wise Man Does/What a Foolish Man Does

A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back

—(Prov. 29:11 NASB)

Court-ordered anger management classes may yield very little success. If you have, over years, developed a bad temper, you need God’s help to overcome it. You need a good dose of Holy Spirit control and discipline. You need a prayer and a plan. Uncontrolled anger can destroy not only you, the angry person, but also those people or objects who receive the brunt of your bursts of anger. A plan could be to simply leave the area when your anger temperature begins to rise. Take a long walk until the anger cools. Use the old punching bag method. A cold shower could be effective. Evaluate how important the issue really is. Pray—pray—pray. It may take some time to completely yield your temperament to God’s control, but work the plan and pray. Over time, a new you will emerge.

"A prudent man is reluctant to display his knowledge, but the heart of [self-confident] fools proclaim their folly" (Prov. 12:23, AMP).

It is foolish to talk too much. A person who comes into a large sum of money foolishly spreads news of his good fortune to everyone he sees. Soon his siblings, grown children, friends he didn’t even know, come out from behind every bush with their palms outstretched, wanting a portion of it.

When a person is arrested and having been read his rights to remain silent, he should, in most instances, take that advice. Saying too much could very well dig the person a deeper hole than it might have been if he had not said too much.

A local minister said that he controlled his tendency to talk too much by placing a roll of duct tape on the table in front of him during a group discussion. That reminds him to refrain from dominating the whole discussion. Someone else used to tape a zipper around his wrist as a reminder to zip his lip. Add prayer. Once Holy Spirit control takes effect, you can then remove the visuals.

Now—the most foolish one of all—the ultimate foolish choice a person can make: "The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God’" (Ps. 14:1, KJV).

Rejecting the existence of God and rejecting the forgiveness and salvation offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is indeed the most foolish thing you can do. If you stand firmly on this premise throughout your lifetime, you will die in your sins and spend all of eternity in torment. The time will come when everyone will believe and know that there is a God. You must come to faith in Jesus Christ during your lifetime on earth. It is rather like the days of Noah. God spoke some truth to Noah, and Noah chose to believe what God said. Others likely mocked him while he built that great boat. When all those who believed were inside, the latch came down. The rain began to fall and the springs of water burst forth on the earth. Finally, everyone believed, but it was too late to save them. Only those who believed God by faith were saved. Those who did not believe until they could see the reality found no salvation. But they all ultimately believed.

Indeed, the ultimate fool has said in his heart, There is no God.

"For God so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, KJV).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we be diligent to look into Your words of wisdom and may we be wise enough to take hold of Your advice for our lives and adjust our behaviors according to Your Word, which is always true.

A World without God

Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

—Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NLT)

What would the world be like if there were no God? Solomon continues his writing in Ecclesiastes saying that everything just repeats itself again and again: The sun comes up and goes down—then it comes up again and goes down again, and then again and again and again. The wind blows from the north. Then the wind blows from the south. Then it blows from the north again, and then from the south again, and then starts over again. All the rivers just keep sending water pouring into the sea, but the sea never gets full. He adds that even the things we do will not be remembered by anyone a hundred years from now.

Where do people go or what are some things people do today to seek happiness or meaning in life apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Some try to find it in a companion.

Some try to find it in accumulation of wealth.

Some try to find it is their children.

Some try to find it in a high position in the community or company.

Some try to find it in pleasure.

Some try to find it in creating artistic pieces.

Some try to find it by becoming accomplished musicians, writers, doctors, lawyers, builders, politicians, etc.

Some, in frustration, turn to substance abuse.

King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, turned to some of the items listed above in his quest for personal happiness and satisfaction. Near the end of his quest, he declared, Meaningless! He said, So now I hate life because everything done here under the sun is so irrational. Everything is meaningless, like chasing the wind (Eccles. 2:17, NLT).

That is what the world would be like if there were no God. Finally, the king writes this: "God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart" (Eccles. 5:20, NLT).

There is a big difference between fun and happiness. You may be having fun when you engage in some activity that is pleasurable, but when the activity or party is over, the fun stops. Happiness, on the other hand, is much deeper. You have genuine happiness that comes from a relationship with the Lord that continues even when the party is over and even when adverse circumstances set in. Your happiness that comes from God sustains you through not only the pleasurable times, but also through difficult times and even through tragic circumstances. Gladness of heart is a gift from God. God is the possessor and giver of sustaining joy. If you depend upon any of the items listed above to make you happy, you will only be chasing the wind.

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11, KJV).

Prayer: Our glorious Heavenly Father, it is truly in You that we find peace, joy, contentment, and happiness. All other pursuits for happiness end in disappointment sooner or later. My companions may leave me. My children are soon gone. My accomplishments fade into the past. My limited wealth holds no real joy. Only in the Lord do I experience abiding happiness and find lasting joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Pet. 6:9, NIV). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Equality

He [Christ] treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

—Ephesians 2:18 (The Message)

It seems that just when the races and other differing groups are finally coming together in some kind of unity, something happens, and racial tension explodes all over again. It is not a new problem, and it is worldwide.

In the kingdom of God, all people, regardless of race, language, or social status are acceptable to God—those who come to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you are part of the kingdom of God, you are meant to be an example to the world by the way you show acceptance of one another. You, as a kingdom person, are meant to be the one to lead the way to unity. You should be the one who carries the light and the banner of love throughout the world. But when even Christians cannot show love and acceptance to people of a different culture, then where is the hope that a pagan world can come to accept ethnic differences?

Fear is often the force behind cultural discrimination. In Moses’s day, the Egyptians feared the growing number of Hebrew people living among them, fearing they would become so numerous that they could ally with Egypt’s enemies to overcome them. Hence, the Egyptians forced the Hebrew people into hard bondage in Egypt in an effort to control their population and their power. The Egyptians’ fear was so great, it even led to the infanticide of Hebrew babies.

A mind-set of superiority is sometimes the force behind cultural discrimination. In Jesus’ day, Jews considered themselves to be superior to Gentiles. It was even forbidden for a Jew to enter into the house of a Gentile or to have public conversation with women. Jesus, however, entered into conversation with a Samaritan woman at a water well, much to the surprise of the woman, who declared, You Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus treated her with love and acceptance. He broke down the wall of separation because of cultural and gender differences.

In the 1940s, Adolph Hitler tried to rid the world of the Hebrew people—the Jews—just because they were Jews. The Nazis considered Jews to be inferior to the white Arian race. In Bosnia, 1992, militants forced thousands of Muslims to flee from their homes or be killed, just because they were Muslim. Today, radical Muslims want to wipe out anyone who is not Muslim, especially those who are Christians, Jews, or Americans.

Many United States presidents have wanted and attempted to be the one who could initiate peace between the Jews and the Palestinians, yet every effort has failed.

So what power on earth can possibly overcome the walls of separation that divide people? Only one power is greater than fear, greater than the sword, greater than the claim of superiority, and greater than outright hate: the mighty, overcoming power of love. "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!" (1 John 4:18, AMP). Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person; its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails… (1 Cor. 13:7–8, AMP).

The Lord was the first who confronted His enemies with love. His love changed the world. "Brethren, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:11, KJV).

Prayer: Dear God of Love, let Your lamp of love glow so brightly in me, one of Your people, that those around me who hate me are completely overcome by Your love insomuch that all the walls that separate You from me are fallen down and defeated. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

He Included Me

For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should

not perish, but have everlasting life.

—John 3:16 (KJV)

Is there anyone in the world whom God does not love? Obvious answer is No. That is what the verse above says—God so loved the world…

Except for Noah and his family, was it an act of love for everyone that God destroyed all the people in the world by means of a flood about four thousand years ago? Was it because of God’s love that He rained down fire and brimstone, destroying the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham’s day? Was God showing love when He passed over Egypt and took the lives of all the firstborn of the Egyptians? Was God’s love displayed when He instructed Moses and then Joshua to destroy everyone living in Canaan, the promised land? Everyone meant everyone—even the mothers, children, and babies. These things might cause a person to take pause when thinking about the wrath of God compared to the love of God upon godless people. The answer to the questions above is yes. God does love everyone all the time.

One of the great love gifts God gives to mankind is a free will. God’s agape love does not discriminate between the evil person and the righteous person. The Bible simply says, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God’s love always provides a path for mankind to exercise his free will to either reject God’s love by disbelief or receive God’s love by belief. God did not want people to love and obey Him because they did not have a choice. That would bring no glory to God. But when a person, of his own free will, chooses to love and obey God, that person or nation becomes God’s special treasure. "Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples, for all the earth is Mine" (Exod. 19:5, KJV). Of course, God shows favor and grants eternal life to those