Taking Up The Shield Of Faith

Lord, I confess: sometimes the fiery darts hit close and my grip on faith shakes. But today, instead of shrinking back, I lift my shield. I remind my heart that these attacks aren’t proof I’m weak; they’re just proof the enemy sees my purpose. So I choose to speak Your truth over my fear. I choose prayer over panic. Even when the arrows keep falling, Your promises are my defense. Faith doesn’t mean I never feel the heat; it means I trust You even when I do. Help me stand firm, eyes on You, knowing every flaming arrow can be extinguished. Amen.

above all, taking the shield of faith with which
you will be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked one.

Ephesians 6:16

Provided by "Word Of Encouragement"

The God Who Is Spirit

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24 (NKJV)
Read: John 4:19-26

During Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, He made a very important statement about God's essential nature. They were talking about worship when Jesus said, “An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (v. 23).

Please notice that the phrase in John 4:24 has no article. God is not “the” Spirit; God is spirit. That is, spirit is His essence. That's who He is. This phrase is put at the front of the sentence in Greek for emphasis, so what Jesus is saying is, “I want to emphasize why you must worship God in spirit and truth.”

You can't get very far in a quest to know God without talking about worshiping Him. And you can't worship God the way He wants to be worshiped until you understand that “God is spirit.”

What does it mean to say something is spirit? First of all, it means that God is nonmaterial. He does not have a body. Spirits don't have bodies (Luke 24:39). You say, “But Jesus has a body.”

Yes, but that's because He became man, not because that's who He is in His eternal essence. In God's essence, He is immaterial. Now the Bible knows we have trouble with that because we are material beings in a material world.

So the Bible speaks about God in human terms: “the hand of the Lord” or “the eyes of the Lord.” These human descriptions are used to help us relate to a spirit being we could not relate to otherwise.

But when it comes to worship, God says, “You must worship Me in My essence” - that is, in spirit. That's why we don't make images of God and bow down to them. He forbids it, because nothing on earth could represent our awesome God properly.

That's also why worshiping God is a matter of what you do in your inner being, your spirit. What you do in your spirit is God's first concern, because everything else will flow out of that.

Provided by: Tony Evans - "Time To Get Serious" Devotional

Meme: Keep Going!

The Calendar Changes but Christ Doesn’t

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)

Here we go again … another January.

I was back at my dead-end job after the holidays, feeling about 10 pounds heavier (my mom’s mac and cheese was worth it though), stuck and alone in a city where friends seemed to change faster than the seasons. I was still processing the quiet ache of grief. Some people were gone too soon, and others had just walked out of my life without explanation.

The holiday celebrations were over. The sparkle had faded. As I sat at my desk, staring at a computer screen that barely paid my bills, I wasn’t thinking about resolutions or goals. I was thinking about all that had changed in the past year, how behind I felt, and how much I didn’t like it.

Change can be beautiful, but it can also feel brutal. Sometimes January doesn’t feel like a fresh start. It feels like a reminder that time keeps moving whether we’re ready or not.

But here’s what I’ve learned since that quiet, lonely January: While life constantly changes, Christ never does.

When friends walk away, He remains close.

When plans fall apart, He stays sovereign.

When the world feels unfamiliar because of grief or disappointment, He is still God.

Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Even when everything around us shifts, we still have a steady foundation. He doesn’t come and go with the seasons. He doesn’t change His mind when others do. His goodness, His promises, and His presence remain.

So if this new year already feels uncertain, remember: God isn’t pacing the floors of heaven wondering what to do next. He’s fully in control and fully guiding you. It is not your job to understand why things look the way they do, but you can expect God to use your present circumstances to lead you to His goodness. He’s still the same Savior who carried you through last year, and He’ll carry you through this one too.

When we rely on Him through life’s changes, we can experience growth. Change isn’t just about walking away from what was; it’s about what God is bringing our way next.

In my life, I look back now and realize my dead-end job actually ended months later, but that led to something new. The friends who walked away made room for ones who would change my life. There was never a reason to fear the unknown because God was already there, leading me toward His best.

I just wish I could go back and tell my younger self: You don’t need to fear a future God is already in. God is refining you.

Let’s stay close to the One who never changes, even when everything else does. Don’t resent the growth or the change. Expect God to show up in it.

Lord, thank You that while life changes, You never do. Help me trust You with the unknowns ahead and to believe that every change is an invitation to grow closer to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

- Grace Valentine

Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"

Prayer: God Knows...