“Justified.” That’s one of the big words in the Bible that I had to understand before I could understand more of the Bible. “Justified” in the Bible means “to be declared innocent as if you never did the sin/crime.” Whoa! “Justified by faith (in Jesus Christ)” – I am now declared innocent of all my…
Author: purejoyland
Plans, Plans, Plans!
I can plan all I want but God can stop, change or fine-tune my course as I go. He is in control It may get painful when He corrects me if I don’t go the way He wills me to go but that also means I am protected from disaster. Thank You, LORD! ________________________________ Scripture…
The Enemy Within
I can’t resist the devil without submitting to God first. That means I have to confess my own wrong desires (the very reason why I am faced with the temptation), repent, turn around and be in agreement with God in my thinking and in my emotions. Yes, if I submit my mind and emotions to…
My Rock, my Stronghold!
My Rock, my fortress, my bastion, my stronghold! This is a picture of how my God protects me and keeps me secure in Him. There are many large rocks (monoliths) like this in Israel as well as in the neighboring areas where the children of Israel trekked. They usually kept their enemies out by building…
Going to War for Peace
Nations go to war for peace. So do I. I went against the tide when I decided to give my life to Jesus and yes, that truly felt like fighting. But no regrets, I took hold of the eternal life God offers me! What better thing can I have in this world? I might have…
How to Know God’s Will
How to know whether what I’m praying for is in line with God’s will? Yes, that was a hard one when I started my journey as a believer in Jesus Christ. But I notice that as the years went by it got easier. There is no shortcut to this one. I had to start by…
The Greatest Commandment
Reading this verse already makes me feel uncomfortable. Pursuing peace with everyone in my life, past and present, requires my full engagement – body, spirit and soul. Pursuing sanctification so I may see God requires about the same level of engagement, actually more. But pursuing both makes me fulfill the greatest commandment according to Jesus:…
Did You Hear His Voice Today?
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice….” (John 10:27) . He usually speaks in the morning. If I stop long enough I hear His voice in my thoughts. He tells me He loves me and all the more I want to hear His voice and tarry in His Presence. He leads and guides me…
A Sure Hope
We can escape the rut we are in today, right now, if we let Jesus lead the way. ________________________________ Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible, Bible App by YouVersion.com ________________________________ Art courtesy of YouVersion Bible app. I am using the Bible App by YouVersion.com for my daily devotion. Download it now for…
Jesus in Proverbs
That’s Jesus in Proverbs! In the Bible righteousness is found only in Christ. When you pursue righteousness you are pursuing Jesus. In the New Testament “life” is “an abundant life” and “eternal life”; “loyalty” is “faithfulness”; “honor” is “glory.” You find abundant life and glory in Christ. The Old Testament foreshadows Christ. This proverb or…