Marie’s daily verse: 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

DAILY DEVOTION, April 4, 2023

That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Paul refers to our condition before Christ. God was dealing with Israel, and we were aliens. We were strangers to His promises. We were without hope and without God. Paul paints a rather grim picture of our spiritual condition. The word “hopeless” is an apt description of our state without Christ.

Then comes that glorious word “but.” We who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He shed His blood so that we might be forgiven of our sins. By faith, we enter into an eternal relationship with God. We who were once hopeless are now filled with hope, all because of Jesus. We are saved by faith alone, faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world. All this came about because God loved us even when we were His enemies. How can we not love Him in return?

Gracious and loving Father, thank You for loving me when I was far from You. Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior. I do not understand everything about You, but I know You are a god of love. I thank You with all my heart. In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

Marie’s daily verse: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ROMANS 5:8

DAILY DEVOTION, April 3, 2023

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Revelation 3:4-5).

Sardis represents a dead church. Only a few in that church remain faithful. We do not want to be like the church in Sardis! Garments refer to character. Many in Sardis had defiled their character by their failure to follow Jesus. We are encouraged to overcome such character flaws. We are to keep our faith strong and follow our Master. That includes repentance when we fall short. Those who walk in repentance and faith will see their character cleansed. They will be dressed in white garments. Their names are inscribed in the Book of Life and will never be erased. They possess eternal life.

We see two categories of people in these verses. Some have defiled their character so badly that they no longer follow Jesus. Others have also defiled their character but have overcome through repentance, faith, and a sincere effort to follow Jesus. As a result, they are forgiven, cleansed, and clothed in white, symbolizing that they are true Christians. What will become of those whose garments remain stained? I think you know the answer. The church at Sardis reminds us to keep our faith, obedience, and repentance active. Then we will walk with Jesus in white garments, and He will tell the Father that we belong to Him.

Oh God, I confess that my character is far from perfect. I am so sorry that I have failed You. I trust in Your Son, and His shed blood to forgive me. Please help me to walk with Jesus on the path of faith, obedience, and repentance so that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever. In His name, Amen

Marie’s daily verse: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. HEBREWS 12:1-2

DAILY DEVOTION, April 1, 2023

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old (Isaiah 43:18).

This is a common theme in the Bible.  We all have a past. Some of the things in our history are unpleasant. Some cannot move ahead into a positive future because the past binds them. We are not to allow this to happen. The past is what it is and cannot be changed. Where will it end if you let the past interfere with the present? The past cannot be changed. We need to accept the past and move on. Why allow that which cannot be altered to rob you of a meaningful today?

Isaiah may be talking about historical things in the past, but it also applies to us personally. The best thing to do with the past is to forget it and move on. I recall my days working as a mental health counselor, and the past hog-tied many of the people who came to my office. If there are sins in your history that plague you, accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers and move on. If there are those in your past who have hurt you deeply, forgive them and move on. Isaiah was right. What good does it do to remember the former things?

Father, I confess that there are things in my past that I cannot shake off. Please help me follow the prophet’s advice and not let the past ruin my today. I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Marie’s daily verse:  Ephesians 6:18 NLTPray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

DAILY DEVOTION, March 15, 2023

That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain (Philippians 2:15-16).

Paul writes to his beloved church at Philippi. He calls upon them to be blameless and harmless. That is a challenge! We become “blameless” by trusting in Jesus, who removes all blame from us. We become harmless by striving never to harm another person. We are to do good to others, not harm them! We are to be bright lights in a perverse and crooked world. We achieve these grand goals by “holding fast to the word of life,” the Bible. Paul fears that if the Philippians (or us) fail to live up to these ideals, he has labored in vain.

The bottom line is to hold fast to Jesus our Savior and to fill our minds and behavior with the words of Jesus. We do not want Paul to say, “I have labored over you in vain.”

Father, I thank You for Jesus, who on the cross removed all blame from my life. Help me to hold on to Him tightly and to allow His Word to guide my steps. In His name, Amen. 

Marie’s daily verse: 

Isaiah 25:1 (NKJV)O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

DAILY DEVOTION, March 6, 2023

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

This ancient prophecy of Isaiah describes the two natures of Jesus. First, He is a human born of a woman, as we all are. Unto us a child is born. But then Isaiah switches to the divine nature of Jesus. A Son is given. Jesus was both born and given. He was given to us by the Father to be our Savior and Lord.

In His humanity, Jesus was one with us. He hungered, thirsted, felt pain, and finally died on the cross. In His divine nature, Isaiah says amazing things about the Messiah. He is wonderful. He is the mighty God, equal to the Father. He is God everlasting. He came to bring peace to the world, and He does bring peace to those who love and trust Him.

Father, I am amazed that Isaiah spoke so clearly about the Messiah 600 years before His birth. With Your help, I plan to love and trust Him all the days of my life. In His name, I pray, Amen.