“I have heard the words these people have spoken to you…If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commands, so that they and their children will prosper forever.”

Deuteronomy 5: 28-29 HCSB

Yahweh heard the Israelites telling Moses they would follow all the commands God gave Moses for the Israelites, but He knew better than they knew themselves the hearts of these people who had disobeyed so many times. Even still, God gave to Moses specific statutes and commands the Israelites were to follow when they entered the promised land. While God was completely aware the Hebrews would not keep all the commands, He also knew it would point them to their need for Messiah.

Do your own failings drag you into self-loathing, or do they draw you into greater longing to know the Savior all the more, to one day be with Him?🚦

#StoplightDevotionals

“Be careful to dedicate the Sabbath day as the Lord your God has commanded you…Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

Deuteronomy 5:12, 15 NIV

Texans will remember when most businesses were closed on Sundays because the Blue Law, enacted in 1961 and repealed in 1985, prohibited the sale of many commonly used items for seven consecutive days. Over time, we lost sight of the gift God had given us in this fourth commandment and returned to the slavery of busyness; we became just as busy on Sundays as we were all the other days.

The Lord knew that when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, with it’s fertile soil and bounty of available food, they would be tempted to forget the tyranny God had so dramatically rescued them from out of Egypt. The commandment to keep the Sabbath holy and focused on God’s faithfulness and goodness demonstrated throughout history and in our own lives is not only an edict but also a remembrance so that we will never be ensnared in the trappings of this world. What will you do this weekend to observe the Sabbath?🚦

#sabbath #holy #consecrated #devotionalsforwomen #christianwomen #devotionals

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“You must not bow down to them [other gods or idols] or worship them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5:9-10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

This commandment is the first of the ten commandments and is second only to the fourth commandment when it comes to length. It’s the only commandment that comes with a strong warning about the repercussions of disobedience. Choosing to put other things before God will result in punishment not only to yourself but also to the next few generations of your family. On the other hand, God rewards faithfulness for many generations to come. Aren’t you thankful God’s “memory” of our sin is much shorter than His recall of our obedience?

🚦#Stoplight Devotionals

#FirstCommandment #NoOthergods #SinsOfTheFathers #GenerationalCurse #GodFirst

#DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“Others sat in darkness and gloom — prisoners in cruel chains — because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the counsel of the Most High. He broke their spirits with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distress.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:10-13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Have you ever looked at the pit you were in and wondered how you got in that mess? We can often, though certainly not always, chalk it up to our own rebellion, in one form or another. In a frenzied state you reached out to plea your case and try to get sympathy and help from others only to be rebuffed, chastised or otherwise rejected. Finally, in desperation you humbled yourself to God, knowing excuses are useless in the sight of the one who sees the whole picture with complete clarity. In times like these it’s so good to know you can cry out to Abba Father, and He hears you, sees you, and is ready to lift you up without saying, “I told you so.” Go before Him humbly today.🚦

Stoplight Devotionals

#Rescue #Out ofThePit #HeSavedThem #DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Once our your old life of slavery to sin have been put to death and you’ve been resurrected into new life with Christ, it will be reflected in a changed heart. Are your still focusing on your amazing personal or professional accomplishments (or failures), what you do or do not have, or what is not going as expected? God Himself is working in you, giving you everything you need, and He wants to plant a new dream in your heart which aligns with eternity. Will you, like Christ, humble yourself to the will of the Father, letting Him remove the old pain and replace it with the peace of obedience? He makes all things new.

🚦#StoplightDevotionals

#ChooseLife #ChangedLifeChangeHeart #HumbleYourself #DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals



“The Lord also said, ‘Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have handed Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land over to you. Begin to take possession of it; engage him in battle.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭2:24‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

God promised the Israelites He was giving them Canaan, but rather than it being a silver spoon in their mouths, taking possession would be more akin to a Tough Mudder challenge, filled with obstacles to overcome. This vast number of people had to pack up their tents and belongings to make the trek across the valley-a steep, rocky river canyon. Once there, they had to engage the Amorites in battle. Because of God’s presence and involvement, the Amorites fell, and the Israelites took possession of the land, but let’s not pretend it was a cinch.

When God gives us a dream and tells us a plan for moving forward, it’s wrong thinking to assume that if it is of God everything will go smoothly and doors will fly open. In reality, chasing after a dream God gives often takes gritty tenacity, unrelenting faith and complete obedience. But He is there, sometimes walking alongside, other times going ahead to clear the way, and often carrying us. Lean in to Him.

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#Out ofTheWilderness #God’sPlan #God’sPlanIsNotAlwaysEasy #ObstacleCourse #ChristianWomen #DevotionalsForWomen #Devotionals

“Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭12:10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

This prophecy was given to Daniel as a limited explanation for the strange dream he had about end times. Even he was baffled, and he was no stranger to interpreting dreams.

While we can understand there will be those who “get it” that the end has been set in motion and there are those who will have no idea what is going on, we may be left wondering which people are the wise ones and which are the wicked ones. There may be those we’d written off as lost causes, “wicked” whose hearts had quietly changed. And there will be those who had been going through the motions and played at being Christian without ever knowing Jesus.

So what are we to do NOW? Love. We will love them-ALL of them- while we can. Let God sort them out.

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“I said, “I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence.” I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭39:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Have you ever vowed, “Never again” after recklessly running your mouth got you into trouble? Put a zipper on that mouth when in the presence of certain people? Sometimes in the effort to NOT bring dishonor to God with ill-timed careless or sharp words, I fail to speak life over the very people who most need it. When we instead focus our speech in the same way Philippians 4:8 tells us to think we have no need to worry that we will say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

May your words today be a lovely gift to a hurting heart.

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#WatchYourMouth #Muscle #GuardMyMouth #ZipIt! #DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

While we are made blameless before God but the blood of Jesus, if our behavior causes other believers to stumble, the cause for Christ IS hurt. Many unbelievers are turned off by the self-indulgence of so-called Christians. One holiday song pokes fun at a Christian praying for a swimming pool; “I can use it, Lord, as a witnessing tool.” In all seriousness, when we became new creatures in Christ, we were released from our slavery to stuff, from our fleshly desires for more, more, more. We are free now to say “no” to that which hinders the faith, whether it be over-eating, hoarding, obsession with social media, shopping…

As we come upon the holiday season, what do you need to take a sabbatical from to do a spiritual re-set to prepare your heart for worshipping at the feet of the Christ-child?

🚦Stoplight Devotionals

#Blameless #Character #Sacrifice #FreeToSayNo #NoLongerASlaveToSin #Overindulgence #DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals