Proverbs 18:8

Let's be real. When I ask the question of who has gossiped about someone you call a friend, don't go looking over your shoulder with that innocent expression that reads, "Well, certainly not me, but let's see who is raising their hands!"

Unfortunately, gossip is one of those sins that proves extremely enticing. We easily say that we just can't help ourselves at times. But the tricky thing about words is that they can hurt. A lot. Take a look at what Proverbs says when it comes to gossip.

Proverbs 18:8 ~ "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts."

The next time you are about to use your words against someone, think about how those words would taste to the other person. Would it shame them? Impose guilt on them? Accuse them? Before you speak, ask yourself that if you can't say it to their face, do you really want to say it behind their back?

And most importantly, pray. The Spirit wants to guide you, and He fights for you. He is fighting to keep those words from slipping out of your mouth. Allow Him to transform the way you speak so the temptation grows weaker as you grow stronger.
   

Psalm 116:7-9

Sometimes, you just need to rest in the beauty of all that the Lord has done for you. 

Psalm 116:7-9 ~ "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

What has God delivered you from today? Whatever it is, find rest in all the good accomplished, all the tears wiped away and all the stumbling corrected. For the Lord has been good to you. 

Isaiah 50:10

Don't you hate it when you tell someone you're praying for something specific, like the ability to trust more, and that person tells you, "You better be careful when you pray for something like that, because God will just give you an opportunity to trust instead of just giving you the ability to trust!"

While the Christian sayings that we all have memorized can prove annoying and sometimes frustrating, I have to admit that I agree with the above statement in a way.

Just like working a muscle, you won't simply become strong by saying you want to have strength. It takes moments of working hard to grow strong. But don't you love the moments when you know your strength is growing?

It's a beautiful thing when opportunities come where you obviously must choose to trust or not to trust God. Moments when all seems dark and the only thing getting you through is the hope found in your Savior.

Those are the moments that people are talking about when God "gives you the opportunity to trust" instead of just giving you trust. Here's a verse to spur you on to trusting the Lord.

Isaiah 50:10 ~ "Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God."

A word of caution, though. The verse that follows the one above warns those who try to create their own light. Who use their own means to get through the darkness. Isaiah warns that this will only lead to torment.

Remember these words as you walk through whatever darkness, temptation or difficulties come your way. Remember these words even in the times of laughter and light. Trusting isn't just about times of struggle, but also about times of joy. In any and all circumstances.

Psalm 86:11-13

How often do we simply read the words in front of us without letting them truly sink in? Or we say things flippantly because we know it's the "Christian thing" to say? If you read the verses below, are they something you can truly mean? Or are they just Christian phrases that have a nice ring to them?

Psalm 86:11-13 ~ "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."

I think the two hardest aspects of these verses are the request for an undivided heart and the statement of praising God with all my heart.

If I ask for an undivided heart, does that mean I have to give up the things that might be in battle for Christ's spot in my heart? The hard truth is: absolutely yes. Which is why that statement is like a smack in the face. Am I willing to pray this and mean it? I sure hope so.

If I tell God I will praise Him with my whole heart, does that mean I have to stop giving my heart, time and energy to things that pull my attention away from my Savior? Again, the hard truth would be that, yes, I do.

But once I get past the things that I think bring me pleasure in the moment, I realize that my attention is much better spent giving my whole heart to the One who delivered me from the depths of the grave.

Ephesians 4:31-32

How can we possibly hold on to anger and bitterness when Christ forgave us of all sins? It can be extremely difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you, but once you think about Jesus hanging on the cross for your sins, it becomes a little easier to practice compassion.

Ephesians 4:31-32 ~ "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Psalm 73:21-22

While not your typical Psalm you go to in order to feel that emotional pull so many people desire when they flip to this book of the Bible, Psalm 73 focuses mainly on the actions of the wicked.

The author, Asaph, who was a Levite and worship leader appointed by King David, discusses how frustrating it is to watch those with sinful intentions live a life free from burden while he tries in vain to remain pure.

That's where verses 21-22 come into play.

Psalm 73:21-22 ~ "When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you."

The moment I read this, I felt convicted. I knew that there were people and circumstances that I had grown bitter against. That I was allowing my heart to grieve as a result.

But what did that make me? It made my spiritual sensitivity like that of a wild animal. How could I possibly allow my bitterness for circumstances and people get in the way of my relationship with my Creator?

What areas of your life are causing your heart to grieve and your spirit to grow embittered? In what ways are you allowing yourself to become senseless and ignorant before the Lord?

I challenge you to hand over each and every bitter thought, each frustration that causes your heart to grieve, and allow Christ to carry those burdens. After all, we know how the story ends. We know we will one day stand before God, and we know our race is not in vain.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11

As I read through Ecclesiastes, I have mixed emotions as I connect on different levels with what Solomon says.

Part of me thinks how right he is when it comes to the meaningless acts of work, pleasure and what we acquire in this life. The other part of me, a wild guess being the Holy Spirit, reminds myself that when we act for the glory of God, everything holds meaning.

These two verses brought about similar pulls as I saw both sides to the argument.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 ~ "I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Solomon creates quite the contrast here. He attributes God with giving men a burden to carry, a burden of the longing for something greater – eternity – only to discover we cannot possibly understand this longing.

Sandwiched between these two revelations sits an expression of God's beauty.

In Matthew Henry's commentary on these verses, he says that we need to patiently wait for God to reveal what we cannot comprehend.

For Solomon, this proved frustrating. For myself, I can't help but grow excited.

God set eternity in our hearts. That thought alone brings comfort and amazement. We can rest assured that this life is not our permanent home. We were created for something so much more. And we will not be completely satisfied until we are home.

I don't see this as a burden. I see it as a reason to find the beauty that God created while I live out my time here, knowing that if I cannot even fathom what God has done, then the future holds more than I could possibly imagine.

Philippians 2:5-11

How often do we praise God for everything he has done for us? Probably quite often. When things are going great in life, it's easy to praise him for it. When things aren't going so great, it's a little harder, but still common, to remember all God has blessed us with in the past and praise him through the trials. 

I have come to realize this pattern in my own life. In and of itself, it is a wonderful thing to praise and give God glory for his mighty works. But how often do we praise him simply because of who he is? 

I must admit I am guilty of putting the character of Christ side by side with what he has done for me. Stop and think about that. I put him side by side his works. Side by side. 

Should I not be placing him above all things? My praising him is not based on what he does, but who he is. Read these verses from Philippians with new eyes, no matter how many times you have read them. Think about his character, and praise him for it.

Philippians 2:5-11 ~ "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Playing the martyr, growing impatient, holding a grudge. All these things, plus more, can easily make sense in our minds. In fact, we can even explain away most reasoning when someone we love calls us out on these attitudes. We feel, in many cases, that we have the right to our attitudes because of what we have gone through or what someone has done to us. These verses say otherwise.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a ~ "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Whenever I read these verses, I am struck by two truths. Since God is love, all these things are true about His relationship with me, and it's a good thing I am saved by grace, because I do not embody these characteristics. 

I am in the process of memorizing these verses. Sure, many of us have grown accustomed to the flow and rhythm of it, but how often do you stop at each one of these characteristics and think of areas where you need to improve the way you love others and the God who loves you perfectly? 

My initial reaction to this challenge for myself brought cringes and excuses as to why I didn't need to spend time on that. My hope and prayer is that you can move beyond whatever excuse you just thought of as you read this in order to grow into the man or woman God created you to be. Strive for more.    

Psalm 25:4-5

Sometimes, I grow distracted with other voices and how easily I can believe people's words at face value. There are days when Satan spews lies toward me in many different forms. This simple prayer guides me in the truth that Christ desires me to strive for and live in each day.

Psalm 25:4-5 ~ "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

Even when the struggle grows to the point of such uncertainty that you don't know which voice to listen to, know the Lord is waiting for you to cry out to him and tell him how the confusion will not deter your hope in him.

Proverbs 4:23-27

Waiting on God's voice proves extremely difficult at times. I have experienced impatience, frustration, confusion and much more as I expectantly wait for an answer. It's almost as if I cannot make a move until I know God has pointed a beacon of light in the direction He wishes me to travel.

After reading these verses in Proverbs, I realized I need to cast away fear of moving forward when waiting.

Proverbs 4:23-27 ~ "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

God knows the desires of your heart, and He knows you desire to follow Him. If you are continually fixing your eyes on Him, He will not send you down a crooked path.

This passage makes it appear simple, but in some ways, it is simple. If we refuse to mess around with corruption and ways that aren't firm, then we can rest in the fact that God will help guard our hearts against evil and against the wrong path. Even if He appears silent, He never takes His guiding hand away from us.

Isaiah 41:13

After going through a day of goodbyes and looking to a future of new beginnings and uncertainty, this verse seems just the thing for this month.

Isaiah 41:13 ~ "For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Graduating college today brought about fears for the future. Saying goodbye to best friends and family left me feeling slightly alone and extremely sad. But then I come to this verse, and I am given a promise. A promise that God is holding on to me. He commands me to not fear, for he will help me. Do not fear.

Despite the fact that I have no idea what my future holds, God will help me. Despite the fact that I will be away from my comfort zone, God will help me. And despite the fact that it can feel lonely at times, God will help me. And therefore, I will not fear.

Zephaniah 3:17

I've always thought about how we are made to worship our King. We are made to rejoice in his presence and glorify his name, counting it all joy. Recently, however, I read this verse, and it revealed to me another aspect of God's character.

Zephaniah 3:17 ~ "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

It was this second sentence that caught my attention. The Creator of the universe, the God who parted the waters of the sea, the God who appeared to Paul–he takes delight in me. He takes delight in me. And he shows this delight by singing over me. 

Am I not the one who is supposed to be singing praises to him? And yet he showers me with his song. Each day, I wake up to this serenade in the form of a sunrise. His song continues to shower me with each breath I take. The notes of his song surround me with every blessing he lovingly gives me as a token of his love. 

Why do I find cause to complain? What could I possibly find in my day to push back at God, saying, "I don't want this blessing. Stop singing your love for me." Doesn't really make sense, does it? But that's exactly what we do when we find something to frustrate us. When we give in to the complaints, to the worries, to the anger, to the stress. 

Don't close your ears to God's ever-present song. Take each blessing from him, knowing he desires to quiet your sinful reactions to life with his love. He wants to rejoice over his creation–you–through song. Because he delights in you.

Hebrews 4:14-16

It is extremely easy to become caught up in the weaknesses and trials of this world. We often feel alone and misunderstood. These verses are an amazing reminder that we are never alone.

Hebrews 4:14-16 ~ "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Not only does Jesus walk beside us through trials and temptations, but he also knows what it feels like. We never have the excuse of giving into self pity because "nobody understands." Jesus provided the ultimate example of standing up to trials and standing up to Satan as he tempts us. We do not have to wonder if God will be there to help us with these battles - we can walk forward with confidence to the throne of grace and ask him to help us whenever we are in need.   

Romans 8:5-6

I often wonder about Psalm 37:4, which says if I delight myself in God, he will give me the desires of my heart. Well, I delight in God, I sit in his presence and bask in his glow with delight. Yet my desires seem to sit idle, waiting. I came upon this verse a few weeks ago, and things kind of clicked into place.

Romans 8:5-6 ~ "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace ... "

Sin is a tricky thing. I have my heart surrendered to Christ, but there's this sinful nature that I cannot seem to shake. I wish I could say once I gave myself to Jesus, I was able to live in constant obedience to him and to the Spirit. Sadly, I still obey my sinful nature more than I want to admit.

If I am not in complete surrender to the Spirit, then my desires will not line up with what the Spirit desires. My mind will be focused on what my flesh desires. I still allow my sinful nature to control my thoughts, my mind, despite the fact that I am no longer a slave to it. In those moments, I realize how desperately I want my mind controlled by the Spirit. I want to live in constant accordance with the Spirit.

Maybe God does not give me all the desires of my heart because I am not living as one whose mind is controlled by the Spirit. I do not have this peace of desires met because I am still holding back from relinquishing complete control.

But I will loosen my grip. I will let go of this control and give it to the Spirit. May we all live in accordance with the Spirit, having a mind filled with life and peace.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

With a crazy and hectic schedule, it is easy to forget the freedom we have in Christ. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities that, without our realizing it, can enslave us.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ~ "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

There are two things that stand out from these verses. The first being that we, as Christians, have the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in our souls. Because of this, we have freedom. Just think about that word. Freedom. How often do we let the things of this world control our thoughts, our feelings, our actions? But with Christ, we have freedom. Earthly stresses and anxieties have no place in our lives when we focus on the freedom we have in the Lord.

The second thing that stands out with these verses is how Paul tells us we reflect the Lord's glory and are being transformed into his image. This is something that is easily forgotten as we go through each day. We reflect Christ. He wants to transform us into his own image. How often do we push away from this? Do our actions reflect him? Are we truly allowing him to transform us? We should not be satisfied with who we are until we truly let go and understand that our life is about reflecting our Creator.

Ephesians 4:1

This verse encapsulates all of Ephesians chapter 4. I was reading it today, and it really hit me over the head with how I need to be living my life.

Ephesians 4:1 ~ "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

Such a simple verse when read quickly, but once you focus on what Paul is encouraging us to do, it takes on a whole new meaning.

This month I have realized how important it is to live each day like it's my last. What do I do on a daily basis that is worthy of my calling? We were all put on this earth for a reason. God has a purpose for all of us. Are we living our lives for the enjoyment that we get out of it? Or are we doing everything we can - from homework to witnessing to friends - to glorify Christ and fulfill the calling he has for our lives?

Matthew 11:28-30

Do you feel as if you're treading water and barely able to keep your head above the waves? This verse might be just the life vest you need!

Matthew 11:28-30 ~ "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

What a relief! Sometimes it seems as if every single day there are multiple burdens that are added to my already shaking shoulders. But Jesus promises to give us rest. There are days when I just don't believe that his yoke is easy, and I attempt to carry my own burdens in my own way. But coming to Christ with my burdens is like grabbing onto the side of a raft after treading water for too long. The relief that pours through my muscles is glorious. My reasons for trying to struggle on my own sink beneath the waves as I cling to Christ, my stronghold. 

Galatians 6:8-9

I absolutely love the writings of Paul. He knew exactly how to say things in a way that really hits home for me. After studying his life, I appreciated his words even more. I highly encourage everyone to learn more about the life of Paul if given the chance. These two verse were written by Paul as a reminder of how important our actions are when it comes to eternal life.

Galatians 6:8-9 ~ "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

So much truth packed into just two sentences! These verses remind me that, whatever I do, there will be a consequence or a reward. As fun as pleasing, or giving into, my sinful nature is, it's only going to bring destruction. And that's just not worth the pleasing feeling that my sinful nature can give me!


I love how Paul says that doing good can cause us to become weary. That is so true! It's hard to do the right thing and can easily tire a person. And not only can doing good cause weariness, but it can also cause impatience. But if a harvest is reaped too soon, then it will not be worth anything. It will be ruined. I would rather have to wait a little longer to reap a harvest on God's timing instead of ruining the entire harvest by reaping it when I think it's time.  

Isaiah 26:3

There are so many great verses in Isaiah, which is why I decided to pull this week's verse from this beautiful book again!

Isaiah 26:3 ~ "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You."

This simple verse just kind of hit me when I read it today. Oftentimes, I will go over something in my head again and again, letting it consume me and control my attitude or emotions. It's extremely humbling to think how often I don't trust God to work things out in my life. I try to do it all myself and have zero peace about it. When I give it to God, an act that should occur daily, not only does he give me peace about it, but he also works through the situation in a way that exceeds my expectations each and every time. When will it finally sink in that I can have perfect peace by keeping my mind steadfast and trusting in God? Easier said then done, I know, but I believe God honors those who set their feet on the path of steadfastness, despite the fact that stumbling will occur.