Written by Juliet Constantine, these devotionals share thoughts and blessings from on high to give you encouragement, wisdom, and strength to face life's many challenges. Juliet has authored two sets of devotionals: "At His Feet" and "Finding Jesus In The Scriptures". Select from all the devotionals below or choose a topic from the menus.
I must believe that He has my best interest at heart. And just as He did, He bids me speak life over my situations. I will speak positive hope over my family and my job. I will speak eternal life over my life. I will not die here. There is hope. I’ve come too far to give up now. My dawn will be seen at the breaking of the day. I will live. Suicide isn’t a solution. I will hold on. I will stay the course. I will live and not die.
Nicodemus secretly believed in Jesus; but for a time, he did not confess his belief. He was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin Council. Being one of the Jewish leaders he desired the praise of the people rather than the praise of God. Like so many others of his kind, they were afraid of what people would say or how they would react should the truth be discovered. So they kept their belief to themselves for fear of rejection. But what if they had made know their beliefs, would anything have changed?
We run the risk of our eyes being blinded and our hearts hardened when we refuse to believe God’s words. We are admonished that we should “Believe in the LORD your God; so shall ye be established. Believe His prophets; so shall ye prosper.” (2 Chronicles 20:20) When we refuse to believe God’s words, our behavior is comparable to Cain’s, Pharaoh’s, and all examples listed in the Bible. When we believe, our actions will ‘fall in line’. True belief is followed by acceptance and change. We will order our lives after God’s words.
It’s amazing how we sometimes forget God’s goodness. With each trial, we sometimes murmur and complain, forgetting how God had led in times past. This seems to be a people thing, and this practice always incurs God’s wrath. Yet, we seem never to learn that thanksgiving is always better. When you lift something or someone up, the focal point automatically turns upward and the object of attention becomes the thing or person that’s lifted up.
How is your belief in God’s words? Are you walking in light or in darkness? To walk in the light means to believe and obey His teachings: “line upon line and precept upon precept.” No man can change God’s words, and traditions cannot do away with His specific instructions. You cannot believe some parts of His word and refuse to believe other parts. It’s all or nothing.
Talk about bursting bubbles. They just crowned Him King. How could He speak about dying so quickly? It’s a time to live, to effect change, to free them from Roman occupation! They finally accepted that He is the Christ their prophets wrote about. Could it be that the Son of Man and this Christ are two different persons, or could they be the same? What was Jesus saying? Hence their question: “Who is this Son of Man?”
My soul is troubled. Our world has truly changed. People have become less important. Survival of the fittest is the watchword and it’s a ‘dog eat dog’ interaction in our societies. The vulnerable are being passed, they are seen as a burden on the State, and many are ‘dumped’ like trash in ‘landfills’. Where has all the decency gone? Evil reigns without restraint. There is no respect for man or laws. Corruption is everywhere – even among Christians and Christian institutions. Chaos is the order of the day. Is any of this true about the society in which you live?
Sometimes we hear a message, or might have read a passage, but the real meaning of what was read or said seems to have missed us. It might have been the same with the disciples then; but praise God, they eventually understood His messages. He came to be the sacrifice for all people; not just Jews. The hour came and Jesus Christ was glorified. When Jesus spoke of being glorified, He spoke of His death. He knew that only His blood was the true price for our ransom from sin.
