“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?””

‭‭John‬ ‭18:10-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why would Peter cut off the servant’s ear?! It seems kind of obtuse and disconnected, doesn’t it? Only a bit earlier that evening, after Jesus washed the disciples’ feet before the Passover meal but after Judas left to betray Him, Jesus predicted Simon Peter would betray Him three times. When the soldiers handcuffed Jesus, Peter, still reeling in defiant anguish pulls out his sword and slices off the ear of the high priest’s servant to prove his allegiance to Jesus. After all, Peter would never betray Jesus, would he? But we know how that story ends.

You and I ARE Simon Peter. Our betrayals, all the way back to the garden of Eden when Eve bit the forbidden fruit, nailed Jesus to the cross. But because Jesus did not shirk the plan God put in place to reconcile us to Him, we can also be Peter—the Rock. Peter became a bold evangelist, his passion channeled from proving himself to proving Christ as he obeyed and discipled others who then followed after Jesus. Which “Peter” are you?🚦

#SimonPeter #TheRock #PeterTheRock #CutOffHisEar #BoldEvangelist #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬ , 6:2 HCSB‬‬

Meals are a wonderful ministry offered when someone has surgery, illness or some other traumatic event. Once that delicious meal is delivered, often left behind is a hurting soul with physical food needing a spiritual meal. How encouraging it is during such lonely times when someone simply arrives to “be with.” This means visiting with an open schedule and no agenda of sermonizing or blabbering about one’s own issues. The gifts of empathy, an open heart, and a ready ear that is listening and not preparing a response are manifestations of the Holy Spirit, given only by one who abides with Him. Will you be Jesus for someone?🚦

#BeWith #FruitOfTheSpirit #CarryOneAnother’sBurdens #OneAnother #Empathy #JesusWithSkinOn #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Perfect? Completed? You wish you could skip over the crud to that point where He has completed His work in you, but can He really fix something so broken? You know you think it from time to time, especially when you’ve just blown it again. You cussed out someone who got on your last nerve. Your relationship fell apart. Your credit score would get you laughed out of a used car lot.

With every crack in the surface, more of His light shines through, until one day it will be Him people see when they look at you. Press on.🚦

#Broken #HeWhoBeganAGoodWorkInYou #HeIsFaithful #MoreOfHimLessOfMe #CrackedPots #Devotionals #StuffLikeDevotionals

“Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:17-18‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Do you, like me, ever find yourself crying out to God, “Bless me, like you blessed so and so.” In those moments I’m both coveting what others have, and I’m ungrateful for the most generous gift ever given—the sacrifice of Christ himself in payment of my sin debt. Jesus’ life was poured out on my behalf (yours, too!) so that the rest of my life could be spent as an offering of thanksgiving. God asks that my whole life be a firstfruits offering., the whole thing given from the top. Rather than just showing up at church in our best clothes on Sunday, Christmas and Easter. He wants our best selves given to Him every single day as a “Thank You” note for the gift of sacrifice of His only Son, given so that we would know true life.🚦

#ThankYou #ThanksBeToGod #IndescribableGift #FirstFruits #Thank youNote #WholeLife #Devotional #StopLightDevotional

““I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Everyone is a slave to something or someone. Emotions, bills, image, and sensuality commonly rule the hearts of people, replacing God in first place of thoughts and priorities. William Ullathorne, 19th century monk, said, “Whatever a man seeks, honours, or exalts more than God, this is the god of idolatry.”

Has anything or anyone taken up the space that belongs to God in your heart and mind? If so, what will you do to return God to His rightful place?🚦

#NoOthergods #Idols #Idolatry #FirstPlace #IAmTheLordYourGod #HeIsFirst #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:15-16 HCSB‬‬

Have you ever been given orders to do something you knew was wrong? Whether being pressured by friends to go into a place you have no business being or being told to falsify accounting records, it leaves one feeling sick and angry. No matter your response, someone will not be happy. In these situations, are you more concerned about what people think of you or obeying God?

“The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live…So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1:17, 20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

When faced with difficult decisions, always know God rewards obedience. 🚦

#DoTheRightThing #Obey #FearGod #SaveTheBabies #ChooseLife #GodRewardsObedience #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“While He was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am? ”

They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am? ”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:18-20‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Some of us have heard OF Jesus for many years. Historians agree he was a walking, talking, breathing human being. Muhammad viewed Jesus as a prophet. Before his encounter with Christ at the burning bush, the apostle Paul’s considered Jesus a blasphemer, a liar calling himself God.

No one can deny he has a place in history, and the Bible tells us he came to deliver the captives, but who is he to YOU? The man who forces himself on no one but died for everyone so that all could be in right relationship with God demands your verdict. So, who is Jesus to you?🚦

#Jesus #Prophet #AGoodMan #Savior #whoIsJesus demandsaverdict #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

““Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:2-3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

What would you think if you thought God was telling you to take your son to offer him as a burnt offering? Schizophrenia? Delusions? Not Abraham. He was told who, what, where, when and how, but he was NOT told why. He obeyed anyway. I’m often leery of doing anything without the rationale explained first. God very often gives the instructions and we might learn the reason later. For Abraham, God had to see that Abraham placed no one on a pedestal higher than God himself, that no one else was in the number one place of his heart. Not even the son he’d waited for so long.

Is there anything or anyone who has taken over first place in your heart? Is God asking you to sacrifice your priorities? Will you, like Abraham, find your freedom in obedience?🚦

#FirstPlace #Priorities #Altar #VoiceOfGod #AbrahamObeyed #FreedomInObedience #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Abraham walked so closely with God he knew God’s voice when he heard it. He could distinguish the sound of His voice from wrong voices that might trip him up, as the serpent did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. Abraham also quickly responded when God spoke to him. Abraham had a healthy “fear” of God, described by one study Bible as “worshipful submission, reverential awe and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.” Abraham had seen firsthand God keep his promise when Isaac was born after a 25 year wait from the initial pledge re Abraham having many descendants.

Think back to a time you “heard” God speak to you. Do you presently walk closely enough to hear His voice?🚦

#HearHisVoice #HereIAm #GodOrSatan? #DoYouKnowHisVoice #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭8:21‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

“People are basically good.” We hear it all the time. God’s Word says tells us the wickedness of the human heart is not a one-time event but a state of being. God was so fed up He demolished everything on the earth, save for Noah’s family and two of every living thing, all because the the human heart is evil.

The Father’s promise to never do this again is not because of anything so wonderful you or I did but because of who He is. He loves us and made a plan for restored relationship with Him through Jesus. Are you walking in reconciliation with Him today?🚦

#Rainbow #Promise #Restoration #Restored #Reconciliation #Reconciled #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals