JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Isaiah 55:12) "You shall go out with joy."
Did you know that you "can choose" to be joyful?
In spite of circumstances around you, you can choose to put a smile on your face and face the day with joyful purpose.
Generally speaking, there are three kinds of people:
1) Those who feel bad about feeling good.
They believe we’re not supposed to be happy, just responsible.
2) Those who rain on your parade because your joy bothers them.
Often these folks have been hurt by life and anger simmers just beneath the surface.
3) Those who lift your spirit and breathe life into you.
But doesn’t the Bible teach us that believers are supposed to be different from nonbelievers?
Yes, but not "negatively different… we are to be “positive”, thats what makes us “peculiar"!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Piety implies aspects of reverence, external action, and religiosity, any of which may be well-intended or used in a showy, inappropriate manner.
Proper piety is that God is glorified when we live our lives with peace, contentment hope and expectation, not looking like you just sucked a lemon, go around looking sad and sober… or dress in sack cloth to look spiritual.
Peter says we will be “a peculiar people called forth to show (and share) the praises of Him who has delivered us out of darkness unto His marvellous light” (1st Peter 2:9)
We are to be witnesses of His love, His strength, and His joy.
In fact the bible says that joy is a gift given to the children of God.
(Nehemiah 8:10 Says “the joy of the Lord is our strength”.
Nehemiah encourages Gods people stop grieving and instead celebrate the goodness of God, because divine joy gives inner strength and resilience.
And unless you commit yourself to walking "in the joy of the Lord", all you’ll ever be a witness of is "Sad Sack Living" and negativity… and no one wants to be a part of that.
Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).
If you’re thinking, “That’s easy for Paul to say… he doesn’t have my problems” think again!
When Paul wrote those words, he was in prison with no chance of getting out.
For him, "joy was a decision", "not a reaction" to circumstances.
You ask, “How could Paul be joyful in prison?”
It’s because he understood that true joy comes from devoting yourself to something bigger than your own interests.
True joy calls for three things:
a) making a conscious choice to focus on God’s goodness every single day.
b) reaching out to bless others every chance you get.
c) understanding that joy produces strength, which explains why your joy is the devil’s primary target.
When you lose your joy, you lose your strength and he wins… so today wipe that frown off your face, put a smile in its place and choose to be joyful!
Good Day!
(Psalm 105:19) “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.”
When Joseph was a teenager, God gave him a vision that one day he was going to be a leader of people.
But Psalm 105 tells us that God sent Joseph into Egypt fettered with irons and shackled with chains from his teenage years, well into his thirties.
The Bible records that the Lord tested Joseph as he was thrown into a pit by his brothers, then taken from a pit to a prison, and from a prison to the palace.
Joseph was created to be a “world changer”, but first he had to go through the a “character development.”
God works according to His own timetable.
And when you understand that, you’ll be able to understand with peace what you are going thru and where you are right now, while getting to where He wants you to be.
Furthermore, God may not answer all your questions; at least not in the way you’d like Him to, but be assured He is working.
And since what He’s working on is often bigger than you can comprehend, He often won’t give you details you can’t handle.
That’s why we must be a people that walk by faith and not by sight. (2nd Corinthians 5:7)
Several times Paul asked God to heal him of a physical condition the he was dealing with, and God said to Him, “my grace is sufficient for you”. (2nd Corinthians 12:9)
Think… if God had told you all the things you’d have to go through to get to where you are right now, could you have handled it?
He knows how long it’ll take and how hard it’ll be… that’s why He’s often silent when we are pounding His gates with questions and doubts.
If He showed you your whole life in advance you’d probably give up before you even start.
Joseph discovered during his time in prison that when God gives you a vision and you commit yourself to it, there’s no “opt-out clause”.
His story is one of a promised future designed by God and brought to pass “in Gods timing.”
It’s a story for all of us to read, understand and take to heart.
So stop projecting into the future.
When you live in the past, you end up with a case of the “if only’s”.
And when you try to live for tomorrow, you get a case of the “what ifs”.
We each need to live for today, “one day at a time”.
Remember the popular hit song,
“One day at a time sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking of you.
Just give me the strength, to do every day what I have to do.
Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way, one day at a time”.
What should you do?
Trust God to work things out for you according to His timetable.
(Jeremiah 29:11) “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and give you a future not plans for evil”
Good Day!
(1st Chronicles 4:10), "And God granted him that which he requested."
In (1st Chronicles 4:10), we read: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that Thou would bless me indeed and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou would keep me from evil that it may not grieve me’! And God granted him that which he requested."
There is something specific about this prayer.
The first 9 chapters of 1st Chronicles in the Old Testament Bible list the genealogy of the Hebrew tribes, beginning with Adam and ending with Israel's ancient return from captivity.
Interrupting the long list of descendants from Adam is a short commentary about a man named Jabez in (1st Chronicles 4:9-10).
Then the listing of the descendants continued as before.
This story seems to stick out like a sore thumb, so it brings up the question, does it have more meaning than it seems and what is so significant about Jabez and this prayer, that it would pop up in the middle of a boring dialogue about the descendants or the genealogy of Israel?
The prayer of Jabez is composed of four parts or requests that I believe has bearing upon the lives we live today as we move forward in our relationship with God.
#1) Jabez asked God to bless him.
Jabez is asking God to bless him greatly, exceedingly, or abundantly.
Apparently Jabez has learned something about his relationship with God that stands out as something that God wants the readers of this text to truly get a glimpse of and understand.
An awareness that God can and will provide for him beyond all that you can ask or imagine… but He is leaving it up to God as the to the means of the blessings.
This prayer is similar to the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples to pray with the focus being that, "Thy will”… Gods will be done.
#2) He asks God to enlarge his territory or increase his ability to make a living.
Jabez is asking that God would give him :more influence and opportunity”, to bring glory to God.
He is making a bold request asking God to give him big things… such as enlarging his wisdom, understanding, humility, patience, love and joy.
It also includes asking God for good health, to enlarge his physical strength, and improve his character.
The idea here is that God wants people to have large goals.
Think big… do exploits for the Kingdom of God.
(Daniel 11:32) tells us “the people that know their God will do exploits”.
He wants people to reach and stretch, instead of cowering or accepting what they have.
#3) He prays that God will be with him and stay close.
Somehow Jabez knew that his success was directly linked to a closer relationship with God…asking that God's hand would be with him to lead him, protect him, strengthen him, and to work all His works in him.
Since he had asked for so much, he also wanted to have God's help in handling his new responsibilities.
And he was acutely aware that as he surrenders his success to God, there will be the divine help needed.
4) Lastly, Jabez asks that God keep him from harm so that he will be free from pain.
Apparently Jabez was no stranger to pain in life.
Even His name is translated meaning “sorrowful and painful” in the original Greek and Hebrew.
So Jabez asked God to keep Him free from having to endure pain and free from causing pain to others.
Jabez prayed that in receiving God's blessings, he would not fall into the temptation that happens to many successful people whom begin to think that life is all about them… and tend to develop a disregard for their fellow man.
Temptation and selfishness can lead a person to harm others, as well as themselves.
This part of the prayer asks God to prevent Jabez from doing harm or causing pain.
This prayer also relates to the phrase in the Lord's Prayer: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
The “prayer of Jabez” reveals something that many people do not understand.
And that is that there is only "one God" and "He" should be the center of our lives!
God wants to bless every life!
God is "no respecter of people" (Romans 2:11)
That means that what God does for one person or individual, He is willing to do for others as well.
Like Jabez, we must first "make the choice" to invite God into our life and ask for His blessings.
I’m not advocating a “formula prayer” to somehow coerce God into granting His blessing unto us but rather,
I want to clearly take into account the heart and the mind-set and the motivations of the person praying to God for blessing, and his or her relationship with God.
Jabez wants to succeed and increase his sphere of influence for God.
The "specific sphere of influence" is not important.
What is important is that when we reach for goals and accomplishments in this life, we must make sure that God is on our side.
(Proverbs 16:3) says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."
It is critical to understand and practice this in a close relationship with God.
Further, it is equally important "to stay close to God" and rely on His continued support and guidance throughout life.
Jabez clearly knows this and prays specifically to the One who can protect him from evil and pain… that is God.
At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of Jabez's prayer by granting it.
It is also important to see that Jabez was passionate in his plea to God… "He cried out to the God of Israel."
When was the last time you were "passionate in your prayers" to God?
God wants to hear that we need Him through passionate prayer.
The “Prayer of Jabez” reminds us that everybody struggles with choosing to rely on himself or God.
Whether you are a focused Christian or just searching to find out more about God, “life is a growing process”.
However, it is very clear in reviewing “the Prayer of Jabez”, (as well as the rest of the Bible), that God is faithful in caring for those who seek Him.
If you are looking to start a relationship with God or improve your existing relationship with Him, start with prayer.
God answers prayers when you trust Him. (1st Chronicles 5:20) "He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him".
(James 1:6-7) "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man, think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”.
The Bible tells us that we are not just to pray, but rather to pray "believing".
If we are specifically told to believe when we pray, then it must be possible to pray and not believe.
Not all prayer brings results.
Only "believing prayer" or "prayer mixed with faith" moves God and receives from Him.
Jesus said, “Therefore, I say unto you, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, "believe that you receive them", and you shall have them”. (Mark 11:24)
Good day!
(1st Thessalonians 4:14) "We believe that Jesus died and rose again."
The greatest truth concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the subject of the resurrection of Jesus.
It is that truth, that gives power to our faith.
However there are some whom try to debunk that truth saying it never happened.
Some say that because the Gospels were written two to three hundred years after the event, the story was either falsified or embellished.
But history and archaeology disproves that and we now know that the Gospel letters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, go back to the authors whose names they bare, and that the testimony of the resurrection goes back to the decade in which it took place.
My point being… there was no time for legend to develop!
Some say that the disciples experienced visions or hallucinations because Christ promised to rise from the dead and they fully expected Him to.
But in the speculation of hallucinations, there is no incident where five hundred people from different backgrounds ever saw the same vision at the same time.
And what about the two disciples on the Emmaus Road who walked and talked with Christ after His resurrection, then ate supper with Him (Luke 24:13)?
Were they hallucinating too?
Here's another thought.
When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost about his so called “great hallucination,” or the resurrection of Christ… he was standing only ten minutes away from the tomb (Acts 2:24).
Thousands of people believed… others heard it and didn’t believe.
Did no one think of walking down the street to check it out?
You would think that those conspiring Sadducees would have taken every opportunity to show that this was simply a hallucination.
Listen folks, the biggest reason people “don't believe”, is because
“they choose not to believe”.
Rather than choosing to believe the Gospel, they reject the light (truth) and chose darkness.
(John 3:19-21) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."
Remember this folks!
Just because you choose not to believe it, does not mean that it did not happen.
An old cliché says “there are none so blind, whom will not see”.
Ask yourself this question… according to a 2026 assessment from the “World Christian Database”, there are almost one billion people in the world today who profess faith in Christ and belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Can they all be delusional?
How about you, are you willing to open your eyes and see?
The evidence is there, you just have to choose to believe it.
Good Day!
(Romans 12:21) “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”.
One of the reasons that the Bible was given to us is to instruct us and correct us.
Quite often the Bible goes “against the flow” concerning the way we “naturally” think and behave.
One of its instructive and corrective statements is found in (Romans 12:21) “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”.
This is one of those verses that “goes against” our natural instinct.
For many of us, when we are confronted with evil, a typical response, is to strike back with a “get even” intent or attitude.
“You hit me, so I’m gonna hit you back and try to do it even harder”.
If you have ever felt that way, it does not mean you are not a Christian, it simply means you are human.
Yet despite this “natural desire” to want to strike back, God desires us to have “a different reaction”, wanting us to “overcome evil” with good.
But how can we overcome evil with good; especially when the bible says “there is none good ,no not one” (Romans 3:10)
I want to make sure you understand what this verse “overcome evil with good” means.
Because of the sinful fallen world we live in, we must recognize the possibility that we can and will experience “the effects” of sin and evil in this life.
Sad to say but this will not just come from people who are outside the church, sometimes other Christians will do evil to us as well.
When this happens, whether the evil comes from a believer or unbeliever, the natural tendency is to respond to the evil with more evil, which is what this verse is addressing.
The word for “overcome” used here can also mean, “conquer”, which some translations of the scripture use.
When you are confronted with evil and you respond with evil, then you have been “conquered” by evil.
However, if you don’t want to be “conquered by evil” than the only way to overcome that, is by doing the opposite, which is good.
Let’s use a math equation to help understand this.
Negative + Negative = A number more negative.
Negative + Positive = A number more positive.
If I have a negative number (we’ll call this the evil done to me), and I add to it another negative number (I respond back with evil), I end up with simply more of the same (greater evil).
However, if I have a negative number (still evil) and I add to it a positive number (I respond to evil with good) I can reduce the negative number and possibly cancel it out altogether.
The point is that you cannot conquer evil, if you are overcome by it, you can only conquer it, “by doing the opposite”, which in this case is doing good.
If evil is the disease, then good is the antidote, and as Paul teaches us in (Romans 12:21), it is the only antidote!
Romans (12:21) is a discourse about “love in action”.
Lets take some time to look at these instructions because within them we find or discover how we can “overcome evil” with good.
Paul says, (Romans 12:14-21) “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil and be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Paul lays out “very clearly”, the steps it takes to “overcome evil” with good.
I will be the first to tell you that even though the steps are clear they are not always easy.
Let’s see if we can take these instructions and make them practical to our everyday lives.
Starting today, lets see if we can “rein in”, “quench” those natural instincts, and do what the Spirit of God instructs, so that we might be proof of “the transformed nature” and power of God.
Good day!
(Isaiah 49:15–16) “Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.”
In this scripture this morning God was saying to His people, “Your lives are like walls continually before me”
Unfortunately, the walls of Jerusalem were breached and the city overrun by the enemy due to a combination of persistent disobedience, a rejection of prophetic warnings, and military conquest by foreign powers in 586 BC and then again in AD 70.
Her walls collapsed because of internal ruin and decay,
What walls were to Jerusalem, our lives are before God.
The First Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar… a consequence of the Israelites’ persistent idolatry and disobedience to God’s commandments
The prophet Jeremiah had repeatedly warned that rebellion against the covenant and Gods Law, would lead to foreign domination (Jeremiah 25:11)… but the people ridiculed him mocked him and ignored him.
The Babylonians razed the city, destroyed the Temple that Solomon had built and carried many inhabitants into exile, leaving Jerusalem in ruins.
Internal conflicts among Jewish factions had weakened the city’s defenses, and then again in April 70 AD. ... the Romans, led by General Titus, besieged Jerusalem
The siege involved cutting off supplies, intense warfare, and famine, culminating in the destruction of the Second Temple.
Thousands were killed, enslaved, or forced to flee, again leaving the city devastated
Walls are built for protection and security from the attack of forces that want to destroy and steal from us.
From a biblical perspective, both destructions of Jerusalem are seen as divine judgment for persistent sin and rejection of God’s messengers.
In AD 70, Jesus had foretold the city’s fall, warning that not one stone of the Temple would remain upon another (Matthew 24:2; Luke 19:41-44)
The repeated theme in Scripture emphasizes that judgment follows persistent hardening of hearts, idolatry, and neglect of justice and mercy (2nd Chronicles 36:16)
While theological explanations highlight sin and disobedience, historical factors also played a role.
In both cases of her occupation by enemy forces… the walls of Jerusalem had failed or collapsed.
In both instances, Jerusalem faced political instability, rebellion, and military pressure from powerful empires.
During the Roman siege, internal strife and civil war among Jewish factions exacerbated the city’s vulnerability, allowing the Romans to breach the walls and destroy the Temple.
The destruction of Jerusalem had profound religious, cultural, and social consequences.
Both events serve as historical reminders of the interplay between human actions, political forces, and spiritual accountability.
Quite frankly, I think the spiritual walls of our lives often lie in ruins through our own spiritual neglect as well.
And as walls that are not shored up and kept strong can get weakened and eventually erode and collapse… so too can the protection of our spiritual walls fail us as well.
The leader who brings us to rebuild and strengthen our spiritual walls is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who continues the work of reconstruction inside us.
He tries His best to bring to our attention to the condition of our walls, but sometimes we don’t hear what He is saying.
It’s not that we are hard of hearing… its that we choose not to listen.
Some of you are living behind the walls of your life surrounded by ruin, and it all began so slowly.
First there was a loose piece of stone or mortar.
Then there was a crack that appeared in the wall.
And then it broke into pieces, and there was a hole.
All of this decay brought about by spiritual neglect.
(1st John 2:15-17) tells us… even warns us “not to love the world’s values”… specifically “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”…because these do not come from God.
This passage of scripture warns us that “The world”… refers not to creation or people, but to a system of desires and value that run against the commandments of God.
Loving the world means prioritizing sinful desires, materialism, ego, and self-exaltation.
Three categories of worldly temptation are identified:
Lust of the flesh… which are cravings for sinful physical pleasure.
Lust of the eyes… coveting what we see.
Pride of life…boasting in possessions or achievements.
John warns us against “misplaced affection” for the world… letting worldly values replace love for God thereby eroding the integrity and strength of our spiritual walls.
(1st John 2:15–17) calls believers to reject the world’s corrupt value system and to align their desires with God, because worldly pursuits are temporary, while obedience to God leads to eternal life.
Because of further spiritual neglect, the weeds of carnality began to grow through the wall undermining and destroying its integrity and strength.
Proverbs says, “there is a way which seems right unto a man… but it is the way of death”
Because of our love and acceptance of the worlds value system… we allow our spiritual walls to be eroded and weakened and the enemy of our soul gains a foothold and the cracks widen.
You may be known as a solid Christian man or woman.
But you know in your heart that although you are a Christian in the same sense that Jerusalem belonged to the Jews… the spiritual walls around your life that protect and defend you are in shambles and ruin because of spiritual neglect
Such things as selfishness, lack of discipline, procrastination, immorality, not making time for God, compromise and rebellion have come and sowed their ugly seeds… and they have begun to bear poisonous fruit.
Paul wrote to Timothy saying that in the last days “men shall be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” (2nd Timothy 3:4)
Folks we need to take serious inventory of our true spiritual condition.
Before the walls of Jerusalem could be repaired Nehemiah was informed and concerned.
And before Nehemiah could pursue the task of strengthening and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem… he had to evaluate the damage and what it would take to rebuild.
Paul writes in (1st Corinthians 11:28) “Let a man examine himself”.
It’s not my job or responsibility to examine you or judge you… but it is my job to help you as you take inventory… as you evaluate your walk with God… to be there to help you rebuild and strengthen your spiritual walls.
I sense in our day that there are a number of people in the ranks of our evangelical family, “a shallow frivolity” concerning God.
Unfortunately we tend to take Him lightly, as if He is our “big buddy” in the sky.
Then we hide behind the rationalization that “nobody is perfect.”
“After all” we tell ourselves… “I’m better than so-and-so and certainly better than I used to be.”
There’s a shrug of the shoulders and a flippant mental rationalization that says, “God understands.”
But friend though God understands, He is not happy to allow you to experience the pain, the heartache, the guilt, and the shame that floods our heart, soul and conscience re the dark hidden secrets of the heart.
Its time that we together …under the guidance of the Holy Spirit… start to rebuild our spiritual walls of protection, security, defense, etc.
And we do that by admitting that some work needs to be done… and soon.
I believe that this devotion this morning is Gods call to you to examine the spiritual walls of your life… and your relationship with God
So today, lets humble our hearts before our Heavenly Father, lay down our pride and admit to our Heavenly Father…
“Abba”… “Daddy”… “Father God“… I need your help today”!
Good Day!
(Romans 5:20) "God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were."
So have you ever wondered why God did away with the Old Testament law and instituted grace instead?
(Ephesians 2:8) "for by grace are ye saved thru faith"
It's because while the law had the power "to let people know" how far short they fell, it didn’t have the power "to make them" want to obey it or change their life style or nature.
Paul says for the “wisdom of men (or the nature of men) is at enmity with God. (Romans 8:7)
Jesus said “men love darkness and reject the light because their deeds are evil”(John 3:19)
Here’s an example that I hope will help you understand this whole, do's and don’ts thing, that we face each day as a child of God.
Let’s suppose you have a tendency to eat too much chocolate.
You want to be free from the habit, so you make a law for yourself: “I must not eat chocolate. I cannot eat chocolate. I will never eat chocolate again.”
You even convince yourself that for you, it’s a sin to eat chocolate.
But this self-made law doesn’t set you free from “the desire” for chocolate; it actually seems to increase your problem!
Now all you can think about is chocolate; it’s on your mind day and night.
Eventually you find yourself “sneaking around” to eat chocolate, because you told everybody you were never going to eat it again.
You can’t eat chocolate in front of people so you hide when you eat it, and end up feeling really guilty because now you’ve become a “sneaky” chocolate eater/sinner.
Now you understand the pain that comes from being “under the law” instead of being free in Christ.
You know you shouldn't but you can't help it.
There is something so freeing about coming to God and hiding in the shelter of His love.
New believers often focus their attention on God’s laws in order to control their passions, but it doesn’t work.
As they mature however, they learn to direct their attention to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and discover that He can set you free from "the desire" to sin.
"Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High", (Psalms 91:1) is the greatest source of freedom that man can ever experience.
The law requires living by willpower!
Living by grace, requires drawing each day on the power of God’s Spirit.
Simply put, the "Old Testament Law", became a school teacher (Galatians 3:24), to point us to Christ and grace, which is Gods plan for freedom from the bondage and guilt of "rule keeping".
Jesus said “Him who m the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36).
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to set at liberty them that are held captive (Luke 4:18)
I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly (John 10:10)
Good Day!