Posts Categorized: Devotional

Afraid to Forgive

Posted June 4, 2018 | Judith Ingram

Scripture

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Consider

When someone harms us with a thoughtless, selfish, or malicious act, we may instinctively respond by erecting an emotional barrier. This barrier gives us time to sort out what has happened, to decide what it means to us, and to determine whether we will simply let the offense go and take the barrier down or to keep the barrier in place.

Especially in cases where our trust has been betrayed, this barrier can harden into a stubborn wall of unforgiveness.

Continue reading >>

Share
Comment

Wounded Wounders

Posted May 28, 2018 | Judith Ingram

Scripture

Jeremiah 22:3 (NLT)

This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!

Consider

Through his prophet Jeremiah, God describes his social policy for right living among his people. The theme is familiar and repeated throughout the Old and New Testaments: Be just, righteous, and merciful. Be ready to help those who need your help and never be the one to add to another’s misery.

Continue reading >>

Share
Comment

Homesick for Heaven

Posted May 21, 2018 | Judith Ingram

Scripture
Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Consider
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Such righteousness motivates the believer not only to love and serve God but also to love and serve other people and to promote peace and well-being in the human community, whether local, national, or global. Loving and believing in Christ gives us a mind like his, so we can appreciate the sorrow God’s Spirit feels at our brokenness.

Continue reading >>

Share
Comment

How Sin Deceives

Posted May 14, 2018 | Judith Ingram

Scripture

Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Consider

The author of Hebrews is warning Christians not to be tempted away from God and God’s ways by “sin’s deceitfulness.” Calling on the story of the rebellious Israelites, who turned away from God after their exodus from Egypt, the author warns Christians not to fall into the same trap.

Continue reading >>

Share
Comment

Faithful Despite Doubts

Posted May 7, 2018 | Judith Ingram

Scripture

Isaiah 26:8-9a (NLT)

LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God.

Consider

Who but Jesus has perfect faith? The Old Testament heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 are remembered for their examples of trusting God through difficult times. But did they ever doubt their faith in God? Like the desperate father who begged Jesus to release his demon-possessed son, did they ever cry out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief”?

Continue reading >>

Share
Comment

Subscribe!

Want my free resource,  “Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Healthy Relationships,” plus my latest posts, delivered to your email inbox?

Judith’s Books