“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God told the Israelites to devote themselves to being set apart by Him. In committing to lives of obedience God promised He himself would make them holy. The Lord invites you and I into this relationship of spiritual growth in which we become more and more like Christ. Jesus was like no other person, fully God and, yet, fully man. Once we say, “yes” to this call to a life of walking with Him, the process of otherness begins. What is holding you back from the best “yes” answer you will ever give?🚦

#SayYes #AbideWithChrist #CallToHoliness #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The people said nothing. The Israelites had strayed so far from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob they could no longer discern truth from lies, good from evil, having bought into Satan’s scheme of immortality and pagan worship. Their silence spoke volumes.

Is your faith in God active, or is it dormant? Are you in tune with the Holy Spirit, able to differentiate between fact and fiction, legitimacy and deception? Is it time to invigorate your spiritual life thru community with other believers?🚦

#deception #goodvsevil #factorfiction #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Israel’s King Ahab had all the other prophets of God killed, and he was on the hunt for Elijah, too. Ahab didn’t observe the Law of Moses, instead worshipping cult god Baal who required sacrifice of children, usually by fire. The wicked king didn’t appreciate Elijah calling him out for his ungodly behavior, but the prophet was very clear: leadership matters. Does your leadership encourage others toward Christ or away from Christ?🚦

#LeadershipMatters #PointThemToTheCross #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3:17-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not guaranteed deliverance, but they were satisfied knowing no matter the outcome, even if it was the worst possible scenario, God would be there with them. It was better to face whatever King Nebuchadnezzar threw at them than to compromise their faith to escape the “what if” that surely loomed ahead.

Are you standing on the edge of a seemingly impossible reality that looks impassable from every angle? God has never said life would be easy for His followers, but He does promise to be there through the fire.🚦

#ThroughTheFire #YouAreNeverAlone #NothingIsImpossibleWithGod #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In today’s social media climate many people feel compelled to share their thoughts on a wide range of topics regardless of their knowledge base. In reading these assorted viewpoints the temptation to take these opinions personally can be overwhelming, especially on subjects for which we are emotionally invested. As Christ followers we are called to a different type of response from the easily offended, quickly angered world. Let us take a step back rather than immediately plunging forward with our knee-jerk reactions which, once said, cannot be unspoken. Love is not easily offended.🚦

#ThinkFirst #TakeAStepBack #Don’tTakeItPersonally #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”

‭‭Judges‬ ‭17:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Israelites fell into a cycle of spiritual relapse, retribution, repentance, and rescue, each time falling into deeper and deeper muck and mire of sin. Do you know someone who has done been in this sad downward spiral? Have you yourself been there? God still sees you and waits patiently. If you are still here, it’s not too late. Come home to Jesus.🚦

#DownwardSpiral #ComeHome #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This was NOT the answer Moses wanted to hear. Moses wanted God to give him concrete specifics to know exactly what God expected of the Israelites so that they would find favor with Him.

How many times have you and I told God tried to bargain with God for a sign to indicate God’s direction for us only to be disappointed when all we got was peace and the return message to wait? When God gives His Spirit as a comfort and gives us rest in Him, we HAVE found favor with Him. The specific answer will come at just the right time. Rest in Him.🚦

#HisPresenceIsFavor #RestInHim #HeIsEnough #Devotionals #StoplightDevotionals

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Last week I was driving home at night on a poorly lit road which was under construction, my vision further obscured by my car’s tinted windows. I often feel this same way as I attempt to see the world through God’s eyes but am limited by a finite view of life, my eyesight distorted by lenses of sin. It’s encouraging to know He sees you and I through His lenses of eternity, knows us fully, “warts and all” and still loves us so much He stretched out His arms and died for us to bridge the divide, to remove the barrier separating us from Him? You are fully known and loved by God.🚦

#LensOfGrace #ViewOfEternity #FullyKnownAndFullyLoved #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

“When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

I Corinthians 13:11

Perhaps no ceremony celebrates and elevates the transition from childhood to adulthood like Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Adolescents attend classes which prepare them for this much-anticipated rite of passage, with all the benefits and obligations that go with coming-of-age. So, too, ought we train up our minds in the truth of God’s Word to shift our spiritual thinking and behavior from immature abandon to careful accountability. Have you set aside juvenile ways?🚦

#Barmitzvah #BatMitzvah #Coming-of-age #RiteOfPassage #PutAwayChildishThings #ChangeYourThinkingChangeYourLife #WordOfGod #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals

““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Who do you love more than anyone in the whole world?

My love for Christ should be so great as to sharply contrast as “hate” with my love for family and friends. If there is anything I desire more than Jesus I can’t follow Him; I must desire Him more than anything else in life. To follow Christ means absolutely nothing comes before Him.

The call of Jesus demands an intentional response. Will you choose him over everything and everyone else?🚦

#TheWorldBehindMeTheCrossBeforeMe #CallOfJesus #FollowHim #Devotionals #StopLightDevotionals