Daily Devotional

A daily devotional to strengthen your relationship with God.

Today's Devotional

In Your Relationships: Be Kind and Harmonious

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
- Philippians 4:5

Harmony, gentleness, and kindness are values that must be nurtured these days. Unfortunately there often seems to be a shortage of kind, considerate, and moderate people at home, in the neighborhood, in traffic, at school, at work, in public offices, on social networks, and, even in churches.

Hate speech has been on the rise for some time in the media, but also can be found in relationships, and the day-to-day interactions with many people. The Bible shows us the opposite, moderation generated by Love, is the best response to a hostile and unbalanced world. Consider the example of Christ and learn from Him, the one who is meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).

God's love makes us kinder and gentler

  • Reflect: even your strongest convictions must be balanced by God's love.
  • Let God's Spirit bear His fruit in you. Read Galatians 5:19-23
  • God is close to you when you talk, write, work, study, drive, in short, wherever you are!
  • Moderation is seen in our thinking and speaking, in our relationships, in the way we dress, and even in the way we eat.
  • Try to be more like Christ in all your daily attitudes.

Pray:

Lord, help me to be more like Jesus Christ. I want to be a source of harmony, meekness, and humility. Teach me to live showing your love in everything I do. May my attitudes show that you are my God. May I not imitate the world, may I not shame or sadden you, Father. Be with me and help me every day. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

Yesterday's Devotional

Grace and truth

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through.

John 1:16-17

God's Law, given through Moses, revealed who we truly are and the greatness and holiness of God. Through it, we see how far we are from reaching God's goodness and excellence. The commandments of the Lord are not just ordinances, but love and life for those who obey them. Without the help of the Lord, we know that man has failed, unable to fulfill God's will - it is impossible through our own merits...

But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ! By coming into the world, He personified the grace and truth of God for mankind. He not only brought and conveyed instructions but lived fulfilling the law in all its fullness. Jesus demonstrated in practice how man should be toward God and showed God's love and life toward man. Walk in the grace and truth of Jesus. He helps you and grants you victory and abundant life!

Grace upon Grace!

  • Pray and ask God to help you understand and live out the truth and grace through Jesus Christ.
  • Be grateful! Jesus personally brought the ultimate solution to our inadequacy before God.
  • Seek to know the Bible more deeply. Through it, you will discover how to please the Lord.
  • Read the Gospel of John and try to identify other passages that speak of God's grace and truth.
  • Take note of the references you find and what you are learning from them.
  • Share with others what you have discovered about the truth and grace of Jesus.

Let's Pray:

Lord God, thank you very much for sending us, Jesus! Through him, we receive salvation and forgiveness for our failures. In Jesus, we also have the exact model of how we can please you, obey, and love. This is wonderful because, on our own, we could not... Teach us to always walk on this path, which is Christ. The path of truth, grace, love, and life. Help me reflect Your fullness and endless grace to the world! In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Day Before Yesterday's Devotional

Humility: an antidote to vanity

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,"
Philippians 2:3

If there's one thing that can lead us away from God, it's vanity. Vanity - or egotism - is a dangerous trap set for us by Satan. If we allow vanity to grow in our lives, we will be in trouble. The devil fell from grace because of his ambition - he thought he was better than God and this led to his expulsion and condemnation. There is no way to be in God's presence if you are fed by selfishness and vanity. Identifying these feelings is very important so that vanity doesn't grow.

A life of vanity is not a life in which we can flourish. No one can bear to live with an arrogant person for long, so those who live an egotistic life - full of vanity - unfortunately tend to end up alone.

In this verse to the Philippians, Paul teaches us a principle that can help us fight vanity: considering others to be superior to ourselves. When we think we are "greater" than someone else, we deceive ourselves and at some point, we will fall into the trap of vanity. Being submissive to God, considering others greater than ourselves, literally brings us closer to the Lord and we become a channel of God to people.

A distinction should be made between ambition and vanity, although we need to keep our ambitions in check; Paul speaks of his ambition in Romans 15, saying "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known", his ambition is no vanity, it is invested in the kingdom. We too can show ambition, as long as it too is invested in heavenly goals, not our earthly desires.

Jesus is a great role model of humility and submission to God. Even though he was the Son of God - he was The Servant King - he came to serve and not to be served. Christ never humiliated anyone to be recognized. Everyone wanted to be by his side, and his presence drew crowds. Jesus still attracts crowds today of those who practice his teachings. Humility is the key to a broken heart and a life founded on God's love.

Feeding humility and not vanity:

  • Try to learn more about Jesus in his teachings. He is the greatest example of humility we can have.
  • When we are polite to people, we create a peaceful environment. Even when there is a conflict, a humble attitude eases tensions.
  • If you are the target of arrogance, avoid 'giving back in kind'; your good testimony can bring the person who treats you badly to repentance.
  • Before showing off your qualities, try to appreciate the qualities of others. Jesus always saw value in the lives of those whom people ignored.

Pray:

Lord Jesus, I am nothing in the presence of your power. I was saved by your grace and not by my own deeds. Help me to be a good servant. I want to learn more from You, my heart is open. In Jesus' name, amen.

See also:

What is the Daily Devotional

The Daily Devotional is a special moment of your day that you dedicate to having a precious time of intimacy with God. It is very simple to establish an exciting routine of discovery and spiritual growth. You will achieve this by setting aside a moment each day to draw near to the Lord. During the Devotional, you will read a Bible verse with a meditation on the text. Then, you will meditate on the teachings and how to apply them in your life. In the end, you can pray.

How to do your Daily Devotional

Here are some tips for making the most of reading the Bible message during the Daily Devotional:

  1. Set aside a moment and choose a specific place: your devotional time will be more beneficial if you set aside the hustle and bustle and invest in a pleasant time alone with God.
  2. Read the verse or Bible passage attentively: develop a lifestyle committed to the Word of God every day and avoid distractions.
  3. Read the daily meditation: reflect and try to understand God's purpose for your life through the comments.
  4. Practical application: jot down your findings and don't forget to put into practice everything you have learned through the Bible.
  5. Share what you learned: try to share with people around what God has been teaching you in your moments of daily devotion as you go about your daily conversations and interactions.

Don't forget the importance of living a life fully committed to the Word of God!

See also: