“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 HCSB

Order. We all crave a certain amount of this to make sense of our mixed up world which seems to be spinning faster and faster out of control. In the midst of the swirl, our Heavenly Father steps in and speaks order into our chaos.

Does your life seem to threaten to rip apart at the seams? Talk to the One who knit you in your mother’s womb before she herself was even born. He knows.🚦

#OrderOutofChaos #InTheBeginning #GodCreated #Order #HeKnows #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 ESV

Me: “Love with all my mind? I thought love was just a touchy feely thing.”

God: “No, your mind is your strength. Your love for Me must be intentional. I instructed you in Deuteronomy 6 to talk about my precepts and teach them to your children, to make them the foundation of your home. Part of loving Me is training up the children I have given you.

Me:”But love my neighbor? Have you seen how obnoxious they are? They spew their political ideology, which, by the way, I do not agree with and I’m sure you don’t either, all over social media, and they don’t keep up their yard.”

God: “Even before there were elections, before social media, before you had a yard, I paid the debt for your sin. I loved you through your worst and continue to love you, still.”

Me: “Wow, I never thought about it that way. You loved me first so I can love others?”

God: “I think you are getting it.”🚦

#LoveYourNeighbor #LoveTheLordYourGod #AllYourHeart #AllYourSoul #AllYourMind #Intentional #LoveIsAnAction #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

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“So be careful to do with the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”

Deuteronomy 5:32–33 NIV

Our actions now have consequences far beyond the present. Sometimes there are earthly implications – legal, financial and/or relational – that can follow us for many years. A string of bad choices driven by low self-image may leave a person with irreversible health issues that have implications for their future relationships. An impulsive business decision may result in not only financial ruin but also the loss of a friendship(s). On the flip-side, a change to God-centered, Spirit-led choices blesses a person’s life and the lives of generations that follow, giving them a godly heritage.

What drives your decision-making process?🚦

#Decisions #Choices #DoNotTurnAsideToTheRightOrToTheLeft #WalkInObedience #DecisionMakingProcess #WhatDrivesYourDecisions #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“This day I call the heavens and earth as witnesses against you that I have set up for you life and death, blessing and cursing. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live in that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to you and your father’s, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV (yes, same verses as yesterday 🙌)

God is my life. I can choose backward and remain in the past, or I can choose forward to the land He has promised me. What I see, though, is the grass really IS greener on the other side of the fence. As I move forward into the life before me and continue to leave behind what was yesterday, and I water more and more what is before me, the grass gets greener and greener. And the season I moved from looks barren in contrast.

Are you facing a land, a season that appears barren? God is faithful to make beautiful what looks like a wasteland. You can move forward in confidence.🚦

#Heritage #BlessingAndCursing #Life #ChooseLife #MoveForward #Forward #TheGrassIsGreener #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You are standing on the edge of your future, looking across to what could be. You face a choice: Do you keep holding desperately to what was, no matter how painful and dysfunctional, or do you press forward into an unknown God has placed before you with a promise for your good?

Like the Israelites looking across the Jordan River to Canaan, God places before you and me a choice. We can hang on to what was because the pain and fear of change seems more than we can bear, or we can move forward in prayer and joy, anticipating the blessings that come when we walk with Him. When you choose forward with Him, you choose both rich, soul-energizing life now and an eternal life in heaven. Choose this day which direction you will go, who and what you will serve.🚦

#Shoes #ChooseThisDay #Direction #Future #Forward #LookingBack #ChooseLife #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 8:5-6; 12:2 HCSB

Have you ever found yourself to be so irritable and grumpy even YOU don’t want to be with yourself?! A day or two ago I was so easily annoyed everything was setting me off. Sick of it, I finally slapped myself, figuratively, that is, and said, “You are definitely not walking in the Spirit.” Right then I stopped and said a quick prayer to ask God’s forgiveness for going in alone and letting myself become like the rest of the world, and i asked Him to change my heart and mind. Within no time at all, I found myself with a smile on my face and lightness in my heart. My situation had not changed. God simply renewed my mind.

Heart attitude is not dependent upon circumstances. It is dependent upon walking with the Holy Spirit. Admittedly, I’ve not been spending near the time in Bible study and prayer that I need to keep me in close communion with the Father. This weekend is a good chance for all of us to dive right in. Have you done a spiritual check up lately?🚦

#pattern #pattermofthisworld #donotconform #transformed #renewyiurmind #devotionals #stoplightdevotionals

“A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25:11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Has anyone ever spoken to you with words like a sledgehammer, crushing your spirit? Did it make you want to “hear” them or just shudder? Holy Spirit-driven words of wise advice or soothing comfort spoken at the right time are a gift. May the words you speak in love be treasures others will want to hide in their hearts.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬🚦

#ApplesOfGold #SettingsOfSilver #TheRightWordAtTheRightTime #SageAdvice #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

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“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Hebrew word for ‘fool’ in this verse is ‘nabal’ and is different from uses of ‘fool’ that refer to a person deficient in knowledge. ‘Nabal’ especially refers to one who is wicked and depraved. ‘Nabal’ is a practical atheist. He or she lives, in is his or her heart, as if God does not exist.

“Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭14:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do you know a ‘Nabal?’ Are YOU ‘Nabal?’🚦

#Pool #Atheist #ThereIsNoGod #Evil #Wicked #Nabal #EvilDoers #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

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“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them, and may those who love Your name boast about You. For You, Lord, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭5:11-12‬ ‭HCSB

Historically speaking, one strategy used by armies was to attack their opponents at their sides where they were weakest, having placed most of their strength at the front and rear. “Flanking” was a defensive tactic in which soldiers stood close together, side by side with shields overlapping to form a strong barrier against the enemy. This is what God does for us! He goes before us; He stands behind us, AND He flanks us. He completely covers and protects us!🚦

#Protect #Shield #Flank #Flanking #Refuge #Shelter #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

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“And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day.”

Deuteronomy 6:24 NLT

It is easy to get caught up in a trap of comparing our own difficult circumstances to another person’s apparent ease. We find ourselves asking, “Does God love that person more than me ? Is that why they have it so easy?” We completely lose sight of our very lives, the breath we breathe, is a blessing beyond measure! God owes us nothing, yet, in His goodness and mercy, He has given us the very life coursing through our vessels. Not only that, but He also offers us relationship with Him and eternal life through Christ Jesus. May we each give back to Him a debt of gratitude through humble obedience.🚦

#obey #obedience #blessing #life #comparisontrap #BlessedBeyondMeasure #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals