Daily Hope Devotional

What to Do with Biblical Truth “You must continue to believe this Truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.” (Colossians 1:23 NLT) When you discover the truth in God’s Word, there are four things you need to do with it: 1. Believe it. Colossians 1:23 says, “You must continue to believe this Truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News” (NLT). The Bible tells us to believe the Truth and stand firmly in it. 2. Do it. Truth is not just an intellectual exercise. It’s something you do. You practice it. You apply it. You live it. You obey it. Before you start learning any other new truth, why don’t you start doing the ones you already know? The Bible says in Philippians 3:16, “We must hold on to the progress we have already made.”       3. Stand for it. The Bible says that we “must always stand for the Truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8). Don’t be ashamed in a

“There is One God and One Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5 NIV) When you have conflict in your life, focus on reconciliation, not resolution. There’s a big difference in those two words. Reconciliation means re-establishing the relationship. Resolution means resolving every issue. Resolution probably isn’t going to happen, because you’re never going to agree on some things. Nobody on this planet agrees with you about everything, so you’re never going to have resolution on all your issues. Can you have a loving relationship without agreeing on everything? Of course you can. If you learn to disagree without being disagreeable, that’s called wisdom. If you learn to walk hand-in-hand without having to see eye-to-eye, that’s called wisdom. One of the greatest things you can do with your life is be a bridge builder, not a wall builder. You are most like Jesus Christ when you are reconciling people. You are most like Jesus when you’re building

“You must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8 NIV) You only have a certain amount of emotional energy. In a conversation where you’re trying to resolve conflict, you can either use that energy to fix the blame or you can use that energy to fix the problem. You don’t have enough energy to do both. So you’ve got to ask yourself what’s more important, to blame the other person or to resolve the conflict. Fix the problem, not the blame. Every married couple needs some ground rules for fighting fair along with certain words you both agree not to use. There are some things you should never, ever say in a marriage — they become weapons of mass destruction. During the Cold War, when the Soviet Union and the U.S. were at each other’s throats, the U.S. had thousands of intercontinental missiles aimed at the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had thousands of intercontinental missiles aimed at us, to

“God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT) Why does God want us to live at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life. • First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re out of whack with others, you can’t be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted, when you’re in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. 1 John 4:20 says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar” (NLT). • Second, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked. • Third, unsolved conflict hinders your happiness. You cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back. So, don’t you want to get rid of the

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18 NIV) One of the most important skills we can develop as we walk with Christ is to love difficult people. Here are four methods Jesus modeled when He encountered difficult people: • Realize you can't please everybody. Even God can't do that! Refuse to play games (Matthew 22:18). • Learn to say no to unrealistic expectations. Confront them by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV). • NEVER retaliate (Matthew 5:38-39). It only lowers you to their level. • Pray for them (Matthew 5:44). It will help both of you. Let God speak to them. Talk About It - Why is it better to please God instead of trying to please everybody else? - What are some ways to say no to unrealistic expectations? ~ Written by: Rick Warren ~ ~ Modified by: Oleg Fabyanchuk ~

“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) If you’re going to get control of anger in your life, you must base your identity on Jesus, understanding that he loves you unconditionally, that you are His, that you are valuable, and that He has a purpose and plan for your life. If you build your identity on anything else, you’ll struggle with insecurity your whole life. You can build your identity on your job, but you can lose your job. You can build your identity on how good-looking you are, but you may lose your good looks. You can build your identity on the person you married, but your spouse will eventually die. You can build your identity on being popular, but you’re not always going to be popular. If you build your identity on anything that can be taken away from you, you’re going to be insecure, and insecurity is at the root of your anger. Until you start feeling secure about yourself, people are going to be able to pus

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11 NIV) Hurt people hurt people. When someone hurts you, it’s because they’ve been hurt. Unkind people have never felt kindness. Unloving people feel unloved. When someone is rude, bitter, unkind, sarcastic, mean spirited, or arrogant, they are shouting with all of their behaviors, “I am in pain! I need massive doses of love! I do not feel secure!” On the other hand, the person who feels deeply loved and deeply secure is generous and gracious to other people. If we just want to get even with people, that’s fine. But it means we’re no better than they are. The Bible tells us to overcome evil with good. This means, we respond with love. It means we look past their words to their pain. Here’s a myth that everybody’s been sold by modern psychology: When it comes to anger, there’s only a set amount you’ll get throughput your life. It’s like you’ve got a bucket for anger, and when the buc

“People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” (Proverbs 14:29 NLT) You’re less likely to get angry when somebody’s pushing your buttons if you realize there’s always a price for returning anger for anger. The Bible is very specific about uncontrolled anger: • Proverbs 29:22: “An angry person causes trouble; a person with a quick temper sins a lot” (NCV). • Proverbs 15:18: “Hot tempers cause arguments” (GN). • Proverbs 14:29: “A hot temper shows great foolishness” (NLT). When you get angry, there is a cost: You’re going to get in trouble. You’re going to sin. You’re going to cause arguments. You’re going to make mistakes. When you lose your temper, you always lose, whether it’s respect, the love of your family, your health, or even your job. Maybe you use anger to motivate people to do the right thing. Don’t do it! In the short run, you may get the short-term payoff. But in the long run, anger always produces more anger, more apat

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 NIV) Two of the biggest mistakes we make in relationships are when we react to what people say and not how they feel — or when we invalidate someone else’s feelings because we don’t feel that way ourselves. Do you know what the antidote is for both of these? Simply being considerate. Mistake #1: We react without trying to understand We pay too much attention to someone’s words and not enough attention to the emotions behind the words. People say stuff when they’re angry that they don’t even mean. They use words they don’t even intend to use. They exaggerate things. But you need to look behind the words at the emotion because people don’t always say what they mean, but they always feel what they feel. So if you’re wise in a relationship, you stop focusing on what your kids or your boyfriend or your husband or y

“Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.” (Proverbs 20:3 TEV) Wise people are peacemakers, not troublemakers. Wise people don’t carry a chip on their shoulder. They’re not always looking for a fight, and they don’t intentionally antagonize other people. The fact is, if you’re around anybody for any length of time, you’ll figure out what that person does that irritates you, and you file that information in the back of your mind as a tool to use when you get in an argument. It becomes a personal weapon of mass destruction! When you get in an argument, and that person says something that hurts, offends, or slights you in any way, then you pull out the big gun. You push the hot button. And it works every time! You know what the Bible calls that? Stupid! You’re not getting any closer to the resolution. You’re not helping the relationship. In fact, you’re hurting it. It is not wise. Proverbs 20:3 says this, “Any fool can start arguments; the honora

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21 NIV) When you are a baby Christian, God gives you a lot of confirming emotions and often answers the most immature, self-centered prayers — so you’ll know He exists. But as you grow in faith, He will wean you of these dependencies. God wants you to sense His presence, but He’s more concerned that you trust Him than that you feel Him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God. The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything — his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging for Job was that for 37 chapters of the Bible, God said nothing! How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis with

“For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, Who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT) One of the things Jesus came to Earth to do is take away your fear of death. How? By dying on the cross and being resurrected to show that there is life after death. The Bible says in Hebrews 2:14-15, “For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, Who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (NLT). God wants to break the fear of dying in your life. Instead of looking to your pain here on Earth, God wants you to look to Him and the hope of Heaven. And, He wants you to help those who are dying to do the same. “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be s

“Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT) When you’re ministering to a friend who is dying, you should give your physical presence to your friend but also give practical assistance. What does that mean? It means you do whatever needs done to help your friend, and you also help in small but practical ways. Somebody who is dying usually doesn’t feel good. They are often in pain. You can give comfort by attending to the small things that could make a big difference. Do they want the lights on or off? Can you get some ice chips? Do they need a backrub? You show love by offering practical assistance to relieve pain and discomfort. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to suggest things. The Bible says, “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT). When people are in pain, they don’t feel happy. When people a

“No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave.” (Psalm 89:48 NLT) Before you can help anybody who is facing death, you’ve got to deal with the fears in your own life. Death exposes the hidden fears in us. When we feel exposed, we typically hide. We’ve been doing it since Adam and Eve hid from God because of their nakedness. What are the fears that you have with people who are dying? Maybe you’re afraid you’re going to say the wrong thing. You’re afraid that you’re going to make matters worse. You’re afraid that you’re going to mess up. And as a result, you don’t do anything. I can’t count the number of people I’ve been with as they took their last breath. I’ve watched many, many people die. Let me just put your mind at ease: It is almost impossible to mess it up. They already know they’re dying. Just by being there, you will make a difference. Contrary to Lifetime TV movies, there are very few “Hallmark” moments when people die. People d

“Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.” (Proverbs 24:3 LB) One of the most important steps to financial freedom is making a list of all that you own, all that you owe, and all that you earn. This is called keeping good records! It’s the principle of accounting. The Bible says, “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3 NIV). You’re wise with your money when you know where it is, where it’s going, and where it’s coming from. People say money talks. It doesn’t talk! It just walks away quietly. If you get to the end of the month and ask, “Where did my money go?” it means you’re not keeping a budget. When you have a budget, you’re telling your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went. A budget is simply planned spending. Why is this principle of keeping good records and knowing what you owe and what you earn and w

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV) One of the best known and most successful business leaders of Southern California once told me, “Rick, you need to tell people the best time to start tithing is when they’re in debt. That’s when they need the most help.” Whatever you want God to bless in your life, you put Him first in that area. You want God to bless your business? Put Him first in your business. You want God to bless your marriage? Put Him first in your marriage. You want God to bless your time? Put Him first in your time. You want God to bless your finances? Put Him first in your finances. Whatever you put God first in, that’s what He blesses. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (NIV). You have to decide that you’re going to tithe and you’re going to save, even if it means you live on less so you can do those two

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13 NASB) A divorce or any other major crisis in your life will shake your faith. But it is your faith and your trust in Christ that’s going to get you through it. David, after suffering great loss, including the loss of a child, wrote in Psalm 27:13, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (NASB). He would have given up if he hadn’t believed in the goodness of God. Even in those situations where life stinks and it seems dark, believe that God is a good God. Even when everything is going wrong in your life, believe in the goodness of God that can pull you through. Believe that God’s plan for your life is greater than the problem you’re going through. Then, you can also share your faith in God’s goodness with your friends when they are going through a crisis. Friends strengthen their

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV) How quickly we forget! God does something good in our lives — He answers a prayer, He bails us out, He helps us with a miracle — then the next time a problem comes along, we act as if God’s miracle never happened. We have short-term memory. And when we can’t remember past blessings, we start fearing the future. We stop thinking God will do it again, because we forgot He did it the first time. When we have short-term memory, we start worrying unnecessarily about tomorrow. Learning to have spiritual vision is absolutely essential to your success, your stress level, your stability, and your strength. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision ... the people perish” (AMP). Without clear vision, you lose hope. When you don’t have a vision for your family, you lose h

“About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.” (Mark 6:48b NLT) In Mark 6, Jesus went off by Himself to pray and sent the disciples ahead of Him to Bethsaida. It wasn’t a long trip by boat, but they were blown off course by a storm, and when Jesus saw them struggling against the wind in the middle of the lake, He came to their aid. Have you ever had a storm blow you off course? You had no intention of being where you are today in your job, your marriage, your finances. You’ve been blown off course by situations you couldn’t control. You feel like you should be there by now, but at this point, you’ve given up hope of getting to your original destination. You just want to get back to safety. Maybe you had big dreams for your life that you gave up on a long time ago. You’re not even worried about progress anymore. You’re just wondering, “Can I survive?” What does Jesus do when you’re at your moment of desperation? Mark 6:48 says, “About three

“Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down.” (Romans 12:15 MSG) The interesting thing about pain and joy is that whenever you share a joy, it gets doubled. But it’s the opposite with pain. When you share a pain, it’s halved. When your friends are going through a crisis, they need you to help carry the load and lessen the pain. When I’m talking about sharing the pain with your friends, I’m not talking about sympathy. Sympathy says, “I’m sorry you hurt.” People don’t need your sympathy. They need your empathy. Empathy says, “I hurt with you.” Sympathy stands at a distance. Empathy draws close. The ultimate form of love is compassion. Compassion says, “I’ll do anything I can to stop your hurt.” When you read the Bible, you’ll find that Jesus was repeatedly moved with compassion. He was willing to do whatever he could to stop others’ hurt, including going to the cross. He was willing to die to stop your hurt. That’s compassion. The Bible sa

“A friend should treat a troubled person kindly, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.” (Job 6:14 GW) Real friends show up when you’re in a crisis. Real friends walk into your life when everybody else walks out. It is in a crisis that you learn pretty quickly the difference between acquaintances and friends. You have a lot of acquaintances. Who is the friend that is going to show up in the crisis in your life? Did you know that the Bible says that even when people turn their back on God, they still deserve to have friends? Job 6:14 says, “A friend should treat a troubled person kindly, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty” (GW). The first thing everybody needs in a crisis is other people. You need a support group — some mature Christian brothers and sisters who will love you, who will care for you, who will comfort you, who will encourage you, who will support you, who will meet your needs, who will counsel you. That’s why I never stop talking about the impor

“But when [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.” (Matthew 14:30 NIV) When you’re going through a storm, God is not distant or uninvolved. He is “I Am,” and He is working in your life for your good. But He also has some things he wants you to do. Here are five things God wants you to do if you feel you’re sinking in a storm. 1) Have courage, because Jesus is with you. Don’t ever argue with a fear. Just tell it where to go! Tell it to go talk to Jesus. 2) Take a risk in faith. Don’t ask God to bless what you’re doing. Do what God is blessing. Ask Him what He wants you to do, and then be willing to get out of the boat in an instant. 3) Stay focused on Jesus. The moment you take your eyes off the Lord, you’re going under. Matthew 14:30 says, “But when [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted” (NIV). When you focus on the wind and the waves

“When they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Mark 6:49-50 NIV) You only learn what Jesus is really like in the storms of life. You see that He’s not a mere man. He’s not just a nice teacher. He’s not an ethical leader. He is God, the Creator of the universe. In Mark 6, Jesus noticed the disciples were in distress in the middle of a lake as the wind and waves pounded their boat and kept them from making any progress. And so Jesus walked out to them on the water. Verses 49 and 50 say, “When they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (NIV). The disciples had doubted and thought that Jesus was maybe just a nice prophet who could do some miracles. By walking on

“Who then is the one who condemns us? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34 NIV) God knows everything that’s going to happen. He is omniscient. He knows the past, the present, and the future all at once. He already knows what’s going to happen in your life this afternoon. He knows what’s going to happen in your life next week, next month, next year, and the rest of your days. This also means He can pray about it before it happens to you. Wait a minute. God prays? You mean God talks to Himself? You talk to yourself all the time. When God talks to Himself, it’s prayer. As a dad, I often talk to myself about my kids, and God talks to Himself about you all the time. The night before Jesus went to the cross, He was with His disciples. Peter was kind of bragging and saying, “Lord, I would die for you!” Jesus loved Peter, but He knew Peter was a little impulsive. He also knew

“By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But He answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to Him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’” (Mark 6:35-37 NIV) In Mark 6, Jesus waited until the disciples got concerned about the situation before He did anything to address it. Maybe you’re having a problem in your marriage or your finances. God sees the problem, and He recognizes it. But He waits on you to get concerned and accept responsibility for it before He does anything about it. Like the disciples, there are three common reactions that people have toward problems. 1) We procrastinate. “By this time it was late in the day” (verse 35). The disciples put off the problem unt

“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.... Once more Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:22-23a, 25 NIV) The key to understanding what God is doing in your life is learning to see life from God’s point of view and having spiritual vision. The Bible says in Mark 8:22-23 and 25, “They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.... Once more Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly” (NIV). Jesus uses this story to teach us three conditions for a miracle. When you need a miracle in your life, you need to remember these three things. 1) Miracles happen when somebody cares. The blind man

“When [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” (Luke 5:4-5 NIV) As a follower of Jesus Christ, He expects you to obey whatever He tells you to do — even if it appears foolish to other people, even if it doesn’t make sense financially, even if you don’t understand it and you’re scared to death. Not only did Jesus get in the boat, but suddenly He began giving fishing instructions to professional fishermen. Notice Peter’s reaction. First, he didn’t argue with Jesus. He didn’t say, “Excuse me, Lord. You’re a carpenter. I’m a fisherman. And those fish aren’t biting! Who are you to tell me how to do my job?” And, he didn’t hesitate. When Jesus said to launch the boat, he didn’t say, “Why don’t we think about this for a minute? Let’s form a committee and vote on it” or “We’re pretty

“When [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” (Luke 5:4-5 NIV) Think about how hard it must have been for Simon Peter to admit failure to Jesus. He was a professional fisherman, and he was good at it. It was how he made his living. But sometimes even the pros fish all night and catch nothing. These are good guys, and they’re doing their best. But sometimes our best is not good enough, and sometimes there are situations that are out of our control. You can’t control the economy. You can’t control the weather. You can’t control a lot of things in life that will affect your life. You may have tried so hard but it just doesn’t seem to make any difference and you don’t have much to show for it. What do you need to do? First, you need to get Jesus in your boat. In other words, let H

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT) If you want your life to turn from emptiness to overflowing, you have to give Jesus complete access to your life, including your career. Luke 5:3 says, “Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, and asked Him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat” (NCV). The disciples had worked all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus stepped into their boat and told them to cast their nets again. When they did, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break! It’s the same lake, the same boat, the same nets, the same fishermen, and the same fish. The only thing that was different between nothing and fullness was Jesus is in the boat. Here’s the starting point: You’ve got to get Jesus in your boat. First, what’s your boat? It’s how you make a living. Simon’s business was hi

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mark 6:34 NIV) The best way to know that you’re looking at life from God’s viewpoint is to look at the way you see other people. It’s the number one test of your spiritual maturity — not how much Bible you know, or how often you go to church, or whether you serve or tithe or pray but your relationships and how you see other people. Because life is all about love! So let me ask you some pointed questions. How does God see your spouse? Valuable. Acceptable. Lovable. Forgivable. Is that the way you see your spouse? Do you see your spouse the way God does? How about the stranger at the grocery store? The person who cut you off in traffic? The beggar on the street? What do you see when you look at other people? Do you see them as irritations? Do you see them as burdens? Do you see the people you work with as enemies? Do you see them as competition? Or do you se