Don't make any provision for the lusts of the flesh

Today we are going to talk about not setting ourselves up for sin. Lets get right to our Bible verse which is Romans 13:14.

 ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Our sinful nature is like a dying campfire. Add a little wood and fan the embers and our fleshly desires can easily be ignited. With this in mind we should ask ourselves this question. Are we allowing anything in our lives that can set us up for sin? If we find something with that potential then we need to deal radically with it. We need to do whatever we can to remove it.

Not allowing provision for the flesh can apply to various sins. But for this devotion lets talk about sexual sin. Lets say a man is having trouble with viewing pornography online. As long as he has access to his internet service he is making a provision for the flesh. He needs to deal radically with his sin and do one of two things. Either cancel his internet service or have a household member password protect the internet so he is unable to access it.

Lets consider an example of a couple that is engaged to get married next summer. Here are some ways they could avoid making a provision for sexual sin. They could avoid alone time by planning group activities. They could avoid drinking alcohol which could lower their resistance to sin. They could make a plan to never stay overnight at each others house even if their intention is to stay in separate rooms. These are a couple of examples of how they could avoid making a provision for the flesh.

Remember this verse applies to various lusts of the flesh and not just sexual sin. So take a moment and ask God to reveal to you if you are making a provision for the flesh. If He reveals something to you then deal radically with it and eliminate it.

God bless

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Developing a heart that rejoices - Part 3

This Bible devotion is going to show another facet of what we already talked about in "Developing a heart that rejoices - Part 2." In that post from Genesis chapter 1 we talked about - doing good, looking upon that good and rejoicing in that good. But today we are going to talk about how that same process has a by-product of a healthy self-esteem.

The focus of our Christian walk is not our self-esteem but rather building godly character. However, a by-product of godly character is an improved self-esteem. When we see how our actions brought good to another then we can rejoice about the good we brought them. When we rejoice about our actions, as a by-product we feel good about ourselves. Our self-esteem is elevated by loving others.

I'll use an extreme example to get the point across. A firefighter saves a baby from a burning building and returns the child unharmed to a very happy mother. He meditates on his actions and is glad about the good he brought them. As a result of his deeds he feels good about himself. But we don't have to do a big thing to rejoice. It blesses someone, and God is also pleased, when we give a cup of cold water to someone in need.

In contrast when we do wrong we feel bad about our actions. And at that moment we have a lower esteem of ourselves. We all sin and fall short. And a troubled conscience can be a weight on how we feel about ourselves. So, after a fall, lets reverse that negative process as quickly as we can . Repent, confess, trust that God has forgiven you and then also forgive yourself. Forget the past and move forward doing what is good today, and then rejoice in that good. Doing good for others changes our whole perception of ourselves for the better. As always, walking in God's ways is good for us!

( Note: this post is not a substitute for Professional  counseling or Doctor directed medicines)

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Developing a heart that rejoices - Part 2

In part 2 we will look at a principal of rejoicing that God Himself practices. I'll sum up the principal in my own words and then we will find an example of it in the Bible. The principal is this:  Do what is good - Look upon those good actions - Rejoice in those good actions. Lets first look at a Bible verse in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1:10

......10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good

We see this rejoicing  principle in the very first chapter of the Bible.  First God did something good. He created the dry ground and the seas.  Next He looks upon His actions and saw that it was good. So we see that God rejoiced in His good actions. This point is reinforced by it's repetition. It is stated six times in Genesis chapter 1 that God saw what He did was good. And one time He saw what He did was very good. 

Here is another scripture that makes practicing this principal a high priority. 

Ecclesiastes 2:24

24  There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

Look at how much importance this verse places on telling ourselves that our labor is good. We are to do good actions and also engage in rejoicing-self-talk.We need to tell ourselves that what we have done is good. The verse tells us that this rejoicing-self-talk not only is a good thing but also that it is a high priority. 

Next it does not have to be prideful or sinful to do this. God does not sin. So if He practiced this principal then it is also good for us to practice it too. Also it should be noted that God did not wait till the work was all done to start rejoicing. He was rejoicing before creation was complete. We can be robbed of joy if we just won't be happy until we complete something. Enjoy the journey. Rejoice each day even when you haven't brought your work to completion yet. Then rejoice extra when you do bring the project to completion.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Developing a heart that rejoices - Part 1

In order to lay a good foundation for several different points about joy I must first undo a teaching that is just slightly off. Have you ever heard someone say "There is nothing you can do to please God" ?  What they really mean is there is no way you can ever earn Heaven. You can never be good enough to be worthy of Heaven. This part is true. You are not good enough and hands down salvation and entrance into Heaven is only through the Cross.  But the error is when a Christian, who is not relying on works but on the finished work of Jesus, is told there is nothing he can do to please God. This part not only is wrong but it robs  believers of a joyful motivator that is needed for long term endurance.

You can't earn Heaven but the believer can please God. Hebrews 13:16

16  And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

This verse clearly states that we can please our Heavenly Father by showing kindness to one another. Our actions of doing good and sharing pleases God. It does not save us but it makes God glad.

Did you ever give a present to someone and you just knew that when they opened it they would be glad? How did you feel when they responded with excitement? Weren't you glad when they were pleased? Or did you ever hold a baby and do all sorts of things to make the baby smile? And when you got that smile didn't it make you smile too?

In the above examples it was essential for you to know that the individual was pleased in order for your joy to flow. Likewise one essential of your joy flowing in your relationship with God is knowing that He is pleased with your good actions. When we know that we have made God glad then it gives us a reason to rejoice too.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Make God smile today

The purpose of this devotion is twofold. The first is to realize that God's children can please Him. And the second is developing a mindset where we consciously choose to make Him glad.

Before we start I want to make sure the words "please God" are not misunderstood. When I say "please God" I am not suggesting that you can earn Heaven. Because the only way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. So for sake of confusion lets look at this devotion from the standpoint of someone who has already received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The Bible tells us many wonderful things. One wonderful thing is the knowledge that we can please Him. Lets first read Hebrews 13:16.

¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

This verse talks about doing good and sharing. And there is no mistaking the last three words in this verse "God is pleased." But at what point in time do our actions please Him. If we look carefully at this verse we'll find we can please Him right now. The word "is" talks about the present time not some point in the future. "God is pleased" as He watches us show love. It is so encouraging to know that we can make God smile today. ( note: in Matthew 25:14-30  there is mention of our master being pleased with us at a future date as a result of faithful service )

And we should make pleasing God one of the motives of our actions. We can set one of our motives to be a blessing to people. And we can set another to please God. Whenever possible, I like to set my motives before I actually show kindness. Lets use an example of giving some cookies to my neighbors. I first set my motives as to why I am giving them. I make a conscious decision that I will express love. I do self-talk and determine in my mind, "I will do this to make God smile and I will do this to bring good to my neighbors."

Additionally, it is a good thing to set our motives to please God while doing routine tasks. Why? One reason is to build our love for Him. The more we act on love the more it becomes part of our character. Another reason is to maintain a joyful attitude. When we do a task as an expression of love to God we can rejoice in  that task . And when we rejoice in our work it can keep routine tasks from becoming monotonous or burdensome.

Finally, lets sum things up. Start with a conscious decision to make the motivations of your heart to bless others and to bless God. Then realize that your expression of love is bringing good to others and is pleasing God too. Then, rejoice over the good you are bringing to people and the gladness you are giving to God. As soon as you are done reading this devotion I encourage you to show love towards God. Bless Him, do something that is pleasing in His sight and make the Lord smile!


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Feeling rejected, abandoned or unloved? Find help in God

Feelings of rejection, abandonment, being unloved and loneliness are awful. We want to be loved but sometimes others stop loving us. At times we have been hit hard when friends, family members or even a spouse doesn't care anymore or even rejects us. In those times God's  love is all the more precious. We see that there is only one who never stops loving us. Only one who never abandons us. Only one who takes us in when others cast us away. God is the only one. Put your hope in Him. God will never fail you.

When rejected by the closest relationships God desires to take you in. Psalm 27:10

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up.

God loves you and wants to be a true father to you. And He has a plan for your loneliness Psalm 68: 5-6

5  A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,   Is God in His holy habitation.6  God makes a home for the lonely;   He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,  Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

To those who receive Him as Lord and Savior He will never abandon them Hebrews 13:5

5  Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

God's love sticks with us closer than even the best relationships Proverbs 18:24

24  A  man of too many friends comes to ruin,    But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 Would you like to have this Father that takes you up when others forsake you? Would you like a love in your life that will never desert or forsake you? Then you need  to become His child today. God will become your Father as you accept His son Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Accepting Him as Lord means that with His help you will turn away from sinful ways and start obeying His ways. Accepting Jesus as Savior means acknowledging that you are a sinner and you need to receive the  forgiveness of your sins that comes only from Jesus dying on the cross.

If you would like to invite Jesus into your heart right now then pray this with me. "Jesus I know that I am a sinner and that I can't earn Heaven. I ask you to come into my heart right now as Lord and Savior. Give me power to change and obey you. Forgive me of my sins according to your death on the Cross."

If you just invited Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior please share the good news with us.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

More sources and cures for depression in the Bible

One source, but not the only source, of depression is anxiety. Proverbs 12:25

25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.

Anxiety weighs down / depresses you. Since anxiety is one source of depression then preventing anxiety is one way to prevent depression. Peace can prevent you from being weighed down and getting depressed. Lets look at just two ways to sustain peace.

1. Obeying God brings peace. Psalm 119:165

165 Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.

2. Prayer brings peace. Philippians 4:6-7

6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Please don't interpret anything I share as a substitute for Christian counseling and God given wisdom for medicines.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Anger can lead to depression

Holding on to anger can lead to depression.

Genesis 4:55 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

One source, but not the only source, of depression is an anger that is of the flesh and not of God. Notice the relationship between Cain being very angry and sadness / depression. Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

Are you holding on to the wrong kind of anger today? It can be a difficult thing to lay aside. Go to God in weakness and ask for His help. Then after prayer be dilligent to put the anger to death. One example of anger that you need to get rid of may be a person you need to forgive. The bitterness you store towards them sours you and can depress you. Forgive them. Do it to please the Lord and also for your own mental health. It also models good behavior before your children.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

A secret to comprehending God's love for you

Do you want to know the depths of God's love for you? We all do. And we all know that the Bible is key to gaining that understanding. And part of gaining that understanding if found by studying the Bible and meditating on it.  But the Bible reveals to us that there is another necessary key to increasing our comprehension of His character. There is a principal in scripture that shows a connection between the depth of our own godly character and our ability to comprehend the depth of God's character. I have a name for this principal. I call it "The takes one to know one principal."

Notice here in Psalm 18 that first the godly characteristic was developed in the believer. Then when that character trait was developed then God showed that facet of His Holiness to that person. See the pattern. First the person became kind and then God showed Himself as kind. First the person was blameless and then God showed Himself as blameless. First the person became pure and then God showed Himself as pure.

Psalm 18:25-26
²⁵ With the kind You show Yourself kind; 
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless; 
²⁶ With the pure You show Yourself pure, 
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute. 

We can see this principal elsewhere in scripture too. First David faithfully provided for the various needs of the sheep in his care. And after he developed a faithfulness in caring about their needs then the Holy Spirit opened up his eyes to see that the Lord is his shepherd. David then took that revelation and wrote Psalm 23. So first a character trait was developed in David then he was able to obtain insight into the character of God.

I'd like you to read the passage below first then I will make comments on it. It is Ephesians 3:14-19. We will really concentrate on verses 17-19.

Ephesians 3:14-19
¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.


Notice in verse 17 it says "...you being rooted and grounded in love,". In verse 18 it says " may be able to comprehend..." And in verse 19 it talks about knowing Christ's love which surpasses knowledge. Now at first glance this passage seems to contradict itself. How can you know something that surpasses knowledge. Well this is where the "Takes one to know one" principal comes into play. 

This knowledge of Christ's love can not be obtain through teaching / book knowledge alone. First your character must be "... rooted and grounded in love.." ( v.17). And this will give you the added ability to comprehend Christ's love (v.18). This comprehension is impossible unless your character increasingly mirrors His. So if you want to truly know the depths of God's love for you then you need to increase your comprehension by learning to love as He does.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Two ways to reduce anxiety, experience peace and grow in your walk with God

When anxiety hits turn it into an opportunity to grow in two different areas of your Christian walk. With the proper mindset, anxiety can stimulate you to grow in obedience and in  prayer.

One solution to restoring peace is to increase your obedience. Lets look at that in Psalm 119:165

  165 Those who love Your law have great peace,

         And nothing causes them to stumble. 

 In this Psalm there is a direct connection between obedience and great peace.  Feeling anxious? Want to have peace restored.  Then part of your plan should be to set your mind to obey God all the more. Obedience brings peace

Another solution to restoring peace is choose to pray. Lets take a look at that in Philippians 4:6-7

  6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Feeling anxious? Want to have peace restored.  Then part of your plan should be to spend time in prayer. Prayer also brings peace.

So use prayer and obedience as two powerful solutions to quiet your soul.( note: This is not a comprehensive teaching and  it is not intended to be a substitute for Christian counseling or Doctor directed medicines )

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Some spiritual dangers of seeking after wealth

Some of us would love to be rich and not be in any need for the rest of our lives. But can riches, or even the longing for riches, hurt your relationship with God. The answer is clearly yes. The first passage we will look at is in Proverbs 30:7-9

 ⁷Two things I asked of You,
         Do not refuse me before I die: 
    ⁸Keep deception and lies far from me,
         Give me neither poverty nor riches;
         Feed me with the food that is my portion, 
    ⁹That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?"
         Or that I not be in want and steal,
         And profane the name of my God.

In verse 8 Agur actually prays that God would not give him riches. Why? Agur was concerned about how he would react if he was no longer dependent on God to have his needs met.  In verse 9 he foresees the possibility of  becoming full and denying God.

Even if we don't have riches, just longing after wealth can stunt our Christian growth. One passage that warns us about our growth being stunted is "The Parable of the Sower"  This parable is found in more than one Gospel but today we will look at a portion found in Mark chapter 4. There is no getting around it. Notice that  ".... the deceitfulness of riches..." is listed among things that will keep the Word of God from bearing fruit in your life.

 ¹⁹but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Also when our priority is to get wealthy we are setting up an idol in our heart. It can consume us and steal away our love for God. In fact our love for God can be replaced with despising Him or even hating Him.

Matthew 6:24

²⁴"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

The deceitful lure of riches - Part 3

As we continue to look at the topic about how riches can be deceitful we find several good points in Luke 12:13-21. Lets read it first and then I'll comment. 

Luke 12

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. ¹⁷ And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ²¹ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

In verse 13-14 we see that the coveting money can produce such strong quarrels that an arbitrator is needed to settle the dispute.

In verse 15 we see that abundance does not produce life. In verse 16-18 we see that managing an abundance can produce stress. Can you see that this man is struggling about what he will do with it. He needs to figure out how to keep it and not lose it. Today he might say if I invest it in the market here this bad thing might happen and I could suffer loss. But if I try to invest it over there this other bad thing might happen and again I might suffer loss. So abundance can bring a burden. It can be stressful to come up with a wise way to manage it in order to keep it and / or increase it.

Verses 18-19 show that there can be a danger in having too much. A person can develop a mindset that all of his needs are met and that he doesn't need to seek God. I will talk more about that later in this series. 

And last we see that this man is suddenly taken from this life.  He did not make a relationship with God his priority and as a result is judged by God. His money provides him no protection from hell. 

The next post in the series is called "Some spiritual dangers of seeking after wealth." 

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

The deceitful lure of riches - Part 2

In part 2 of this devotion we will talk about the following: riches add deceitful friendships, riches won't make a bad relationship happy and coveting money produces fighting.


The following Bible verse gives us insight into man's selfishness. It shows us that people will acquire and reject friendships based on what they can get out of them. They try and rub shoulders with the rich in hopes that they will receive some benefit from them. They separate themselves from those who are truly in need because they may need to give of themselves and gain  nothing in return.  So riches can create a false sense that everyone loves you and wants to be with you. But it is a lie. Many of those that want to be with the rich just want something from them.

Proverbs 19:4

⁴ Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.

Next we need to recognize that wealth can't make a bad relationship happy. This Bible verse shows that it is better to have little where there is peace than to have and abundance with quarreling. Wealth can't be enjoyed when there is strife in the home. Relationship tensions erode our ability to enjoy life. Knowing this, it makes sense for each person to make growing in love a high priority. Because when there is love and peace we take joy in our relationships whether we have little or much.

Proverbs 17:1
 ¹ Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of feasting with strife.

We talked about how wealth can't make a bad relationship happy. Now lets consider how a desire for wealth can actually generate fighting. James 4:1-3 can be applied to any lust. In this case consider these verses in terms of coveting riches.

James 4:1-3
¹ What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? ² You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.


In part 3 of this series we will continue sharing about how coveting money can produce intense quarrels. Also we will discuss the following: managing abundance can produce anxiety, riches can cause us to forget God and riches do not provide protection when we stand before God. 


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)