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.
Are you spouse hunting? Blood washed, born again Christian men and women seem to be in short supply. But you do not need to settle for less than the best: for less than God’s standard. Close enough to perfect is shortchanging yourself and robbing yourself of the possibilities that could’ve been. Why not allow God to be and make your perfect choice! Do not settle. Close enough is not ideal.
Organizations keep records for varied reasons - one such record is the register. Registers are usually a list of names which show association with or attendance to school, work, and even church (as common examples). These important lists are u¬¬sed for organizing and reporting, or keeping track of someone or something. Even the fairytale Santa Clause is said to have kept records: one list of those who are naughty, and another for those who are nice. Records are important in Heaven too.
We all have our pressure points – that point when we think we can take no more. That moment when we are ready to quit, and when we believe it’s not worth it! Don’t give in. Don’t give up. With God’s help, we can make it. We can stand tall. We can be guided by the Holy Spirit and speak freely from our conscience. Our guarantee is the Word of God. Whatever circumstances you may be facing now, hold on. God will work it out somehow. And even if He chooses not to, still hold onto Him. He sees the way you take; and if He brings you to it, He will see you through it. Do not cave under pressure. Just hold on.
Perhaps you have been clowning with those you are most comfortable. You may only laugh, talk, or share with those who are in your comfort zone. The invitation is for you too. Widen your circle. Greet guests who visit your church. Say hi to people you meet on the street. Invite your church guest home for dinner. Share the love of Jesus with everyone. Invite them to become a member of Jesus’ Kingdom. Show that we can love everyone, not just those who share our beliefs.
The Centurion totally surrendered all control and authority when he bid Jesus “speak the word” so that his servant could receive healing. There are many more such examples. But for me, the one that stands out more is Hosea: despite his Christian morals and beliefs, and against his better hope and aspirations, he chose to follow God and marry a woman who would bring him untold grief.
There is always a more excellent way. Jesus instructed us to “Lay up treasures in Heaven.” Heavenly treasures do not consist of banking your money in church, expecting to have many dollars to spend when you get to Heaven. Many would like you to think that the more you give, the bigger your mansion will be. But this is not so. We lay up treasurers in Heaven by investing our time, talent, and money in God’s work of transforming characters for eternity.
Jesus’ response to the hurt, anger, resentment, and revenge in their faces and hearts toward their oppressors wasn’t a popular or welcomed one. It made Jesus sad to tell them something different than what they wanted to hear. What they heard was: “Do not resist. Go the extra mile. Go over and beyond the call of duty. Be agreeable. Respect authority.” Jesus only reiterated what they already knew, but the anger in their hearts tricked them into believing that they wanted otherwise.
