Monday 3/4 ~ Help them ride the waves

On March 4, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, Inspirational, power, praise, victory1 Comment

The scripture for today, March 4 (3/4), is James 3:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”

James, in this scripture, is talking about the tongue being a small thing, but it can get our entire lives into a lot of trouble. Once we say things, we cannot take them back.

What do you spend your day saying to people? You do have a choice. People do more good things than bad things. Do you respond to them with more good or more bad words? It is your choice.

When you compliment someone, they will take heart and try to do that good thing even more. When you berate someone, they will lose heart and probably do the bad thing again. Years ago, there was a saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Are your words honey or vinegar?

Jesus said out of our heart comes our words. If you normally say nice things to others, it shows you have a nice heart. If you normally say hard things to others, it shows you have a hard heart. Jesus also said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Don’t use your words to sink someone farther down.

Starting now, when you launch out into a new day, go out of your way to say small nice things to people. The rudder of your tongue may be small, but oh how powerful it is. You may even provide a rudder to help someone out of a private storm. Today, help someone stay on course and keep their face to the wind. Today, use your words to help someone rise from the depths and ride the waves.

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Wednesday 2/17 ~ A good person, a great person, a mighty person

On February 27, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, death, discouragement, ego, Inspirational, Loss, problems, victory1 Comment

The scripture for today, February 27 (2/27), is Jeremiah 2:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“ ‘Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,’ declares the Lord.”

Do you want God to make it impossible for someone to insult or lie or cuss at you? Do you want God to make it impossible for someone to fire you? Do you want God to make it impossible to kill you? Do you want to stop free will? If that were the case, we would all be robots with no will of our own.

More and more people are blaming God for bad things happening in their life. That is their excuse for rebelling against God and declaring he does not even exist. Their view of God is a Santa Claus or Genie in a Bottle who grants their every wish and keeps them from all harm. No one ever dies, no one ever sins, and it is heaven on earth.

What they want is for God to stop his laws of Nature whenever you want. If someone throws a knife at them, it suddenly turns to gelatin. If someone’s car is about to slam into them and kill someone, they want that car to suddenly be made out of feathers.

Other people sometimes blame God for bad things happening in their life because blaming is one of the ways they handle their grief. They don’t really want to blame God because they want to think God loves them. But there is no one else to blame.

No one else to blame? Oh, yes, there is. There is Satan. We tend to forget Satan is out there too. It is Satan who causes bad to happen, not God.

Is that what you’ve done lately ~ blame God for bad happening, then rebel against him? Or do you know someone who is going through many problems not of their doing or choosing? Are they blaming God and rebelling against him? Help them. Remind them of Satan.

People want to blame someone. They will be relieved to be reminded that Satan exists. Now they can put the blame where it belongs.

Let us not blame God for the bad. Instead, let us thank Him for the good. And for hard things in our life so we can build our spiritual muscles. How can we have Victory in Jesus unless we have something to be victorious over? How can we be More than Conquerors unless we have something to conquer? Are we cowards? Do we run from hard work and exercise?

Look up! God knows what he is doing. He wants you to become a good person, a great person, a mighty person. But you must do it his way.

A CHILD’S BIBLE KIDS: KING JOASH was saved as a toddler when there was rebellion in the palace and idolatry everywhere in the kingdom. When he got old enough to rule as king, he ordered all the idols to be broken down and made a lot of people mad. They didn’t like God. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2IEFtR3

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Tuesday 2/26 ~ Things

On February 26, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, emptiness, Loss, things, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, February 26 (2/26), is Ecclesiastes 2:26 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Are you happy regardless of how much wealth you do or do not have? Do you require things in order to be happy? Are you always out shopping around for new clothing, a new car, a new computer or television? Solomon, who wrote the above scripture, was the wealthiest man in the world, but he found it to be meaningless, a chasing after the wind. In another place in Ecclesiastes (5:10) he said that a man loving money never has enough.

Indeed, centuries later, the highly educated and intelligent apostle Paul, who did not own a home or much of anything else, explained his happiness: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11b-12).

If you lost everything tomorrow, would you panic? Or would you use God’s wisdom and knowledge to create a new happiness? Might you look around and begin doing something you have always wanted to do but were too tied down with things to do? If you lost everything tomorrow, might it bring a new freedom to you or paralyze you?

365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS is book 2 in the TOUCHING GOD trilogy for every day of the year. Book 1 is inspirational thoughts, book 2 is wise sayings, book 3 is prayers. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: amzn.to/TouchingGod

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Friday 2/22 ~What a privilege. What a responsibility.

On February 22, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, Inspirational, power, worship1 Comment

The scripture for today, February 22 2/22), is Ephesians 2:22 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Another place in the New Testament, 2nd Corinthians 6:16, says we are the temple of God. A lot of things in worship under the Law of Moses were literal versions of what Christians someday would enjoy in a spiritual and deeper sense.

We have no need of the temple in Jerusalem, for now God dwells in Christians. We have no need of the altar of sacrifice at that temple because Jesus was our final sacrifice (Hebrews 10:4-12). We have no need of the cymbals, harps and lyres played in their worship because Christians play on the strings of their hearts (Ephesians 5:19).

We have no need of the priestly system in the Law of Moses with the special vestments and titles because all Christians are priests (1st Peter 2:5). And how do we serve as priests? Romans 12:1 explains it: “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.”

What a concept! God does not dwell in temples or church buildings!

He dwells in Christians.

He lives and moves through Christians.

What a privilege.

What a responsibility.

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Sunday 2/17 ~ Lose anything important lately?

On February 17, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, ego, emptiness, Loss, power, thingsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 17 (2/17), is 1st John 2:17 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Have you lost anything very important to you lately? Has it left you feeling empty?

Were you injured and cannot participate in a certain sport anymore? Are your bones growing old and you have to get around in a wheelchair? Did you lose a savings or part of your income and no longer can buy fancy clothes, a shiny car, a big house? Did you miss out on being a chairman for your committee or official for your community and all the importance that comes with it?

The previous verse in the KJV says there are three basic types of sins: Lust of the flesh and eye, and pride.

Is your loss devastating to you? Do you now feel worthless? Do you sometimes even have fleeting thoughts that life is no longer worth living?

Or, perhaps you recently obtained your heart’s desire. Were you satisfied? Or have you already begun to look higher, wanting a little more?

Take a deep look at yourself? Do you think you will ever be truly satisfied? What are your cravings? Are they all that important? Are they all that valuable?

Only one thing can ever give you what you truly crave ~ doing the gentle will of God. He is your Creator and he knows what will make you happy. Then you can have all you ever craved for in his world ~ forever.

TITUS; THE ARISTOCRAT whose father built a mansion and had the highest position in Antioch was never happy. Titus tried to imitate his father, then met Paul. To BUY NEW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2Ncd0km

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Friday 2/15 ~ I did my best

On February 15, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, good works, Inspirational, persecution, power, teaching1 Comment

The scripture for today, February 15 (2/15), is 2nd Timothy 2:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

“Do your best,” Paul told a younger co-worker. “Do your best.”

This was an apostle speaking. This was Paul who had endured multiple beatings with rods and lashings with whips. This was Paul who no one could stop.

He had endured floods and snowstorms, hunger and robbers on the road. Still, no one could stop him. He endured shipwrecks and even treading water a day and night in the sea. Nothing could stop him.e \

It seems with Paul, it was never enough. He was driven. When he was stoned and presumed dead, he got up and went back into the city! When he was imprisoned, he defied the magistrates who put him there and sang his sermons to the other prisoners. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could shut him up.

When he wrote this, he was now in prison. He had done his best. Now it was time for the next generation. He was handing the torch over to Timothy and the others.

“Do your best, Timothy. Don’t let them stop you. Never let them stop you. They are lost and don’t know it. Tell them, Timothy. Keep telling them, no matter how terribly they treat you. Keep telling them and keep telling them. Don’t stop, Timothy. Do your best.

“Some will stop what they are doing and listen to you. They will turn their life around. They will be there with you when it is time to be presented to God. They will be there with you, and with you they will say, “I did my best.”

By the time PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE reaches 50, his back is so eaten up with scar tissue from all his beatings, he can hardly wear clothes on his back. The pain never ceases. But when he speaks, the whole world echoes with his powerful words. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2SXyt5K

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Monday 2/11 ~ How’s your heart today?

On February 11, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, emptiness, thingsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 11 (2/11), is Ecclesiastes 2:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind, nothing was gained under the sun.”

King Solomon wrote this. He tried everything to bring deep happiness and satisfaction into his life. He had both the money and power to do it. He tried writing books and songs. He tried having a thousand women. He tried working hard with his hands. He tried building big fancy buildings with grand gardens to surround them. He tried investing his money and becoming the richest man in the world. Nothing worked. He wandered through all his luxury feeling empty. He still couldn’t achieve the deep happiness he longed for.

There was a book published a few years ago entitled, How to Want What You Have. Is the deep contented happiness you crave always just around the corner? If you could just get that promotion, if you could just get married, if you could just get a pay raise, if you could just be on the winning team, if you could just have children, if you could just get that next house or car or….

Always IF. Is the problem that, once you attain what you believe will bring you happiness, you just want the next promotion, the next pay raise, a different marriage partner, the next house, no children, the next car?

What was Solomon’s conclusion? He suspected what it is in 3:11: “God set eternity in the hearts of man.” In other words, there is a God-shaped emptiness in man’s heart. Then, after he had tried everything his own way, he had only one choice left. He spelled it out in the final few verses of his writing: True happiness comes from a heartfelt relationship with God.

How’s your heart today?

365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS is the 2nd of a new TOUCHING GOD series. Bk. 1 is 365 devotional thoughts, Bk. 2 is 365 tidbits from the Wisdom Literature of the Bible, Bk. 3 is 365 prayers. To BUY BK 2 NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2N0lFq1

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Sunday 2/10 ~ Worship and the devil

On February 10, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, ego, humility, Saved from hell, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 10 (2/10), is James 2:10 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

Do we pray on Sunday and curse on Monday? Do we sing on Sunday and lie on Monday? Do we recite a scripture on Sunday and mock someone on Monday?

On the other hand, do we use this as an excuse not to go to church and worship? Do we refuse to attend because there are hypocrites in the church?

Do we refuse to go to work because there are hypocrites there who talk behind the boss’s back? Do we refuse to go to school because there are hypocrites there who would skip school if they could? Do we refuse to sit for two hours in a boring airport because there are hypocrites there smuggling things in their suitcases? Do we refuse to go to sporting events because there are hypocrites there who would literally “kill the umpire” if they could?

Even Jesus had a hypocrite among his 12 Apostles ~ Judas. That didn’t stop him from doing what was needed to save us from hell.

In a sense we are all hypocrites because we go to church and sing songs about giving everything for Jesus, then we go home and don’t. Or we sing songs about going into all the world and teaching the gospel, then we go home and don’t. Or we talk about the importance of praying for everyone around us and their loved ones, then we go home and don’t.

Perhaps Jesus was the biggest hypocrite of them all because he, who never, ever sinned, took the blame for your sins and went through excruciating body and soul death in your place. Oh, my Lord Jesus, how can I worship you enough? How can I thank you enough? How can my spirit touch your holiness? Get Satan away from me, for I am weak and need you.

PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE was a great hypocrite, but he did not even realize it. He tortured and killed Christians in the name of God. It took complete blindness to get him to wake up to his own hypocrisy and do what God really told him to do. Then he became unstoppable. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2SHeQPg

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Sunday 2/3 ~ So, the Son of God did it

On February 3, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, good works, humility, judgingLeave a comment

The scripture for today, February 3 (2/3), is Philippians 2:3 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

This is probably among the top ten hardest-to-keep commands in the Bible. It’s right up there near loving our enemies.

Do we consider people who stand and speak in front of an audience superior to the listeners? Even though the one up front may be all talk and no show? Even though someone in the audience prays for others more than the “leader”? Even though someone in the audience is often awake all night caring for someone who needs him? Even though someone in the audience goes down to the seedy part of town wearing rags and tells about the love of Christ to people in the cellar of life?

But we give in to it. We praise the one standing before an audience and envy all their attention and their title. Oh, my friend, who is the true leader ~ the audience or someone standing up front? Can we judge ourselves and each other as God does? Can we act as God does?

Jesus was always a server, helping others to be better. The last time he ate with his apostles before his death, he put on an apron and went around washing their feet. Apparently, none of them felt they should stoop so low as to do it. So, the Son of God did it.

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR had everything going for him. A wife, children, a position as a deacon in the mighty church in Jerusalem who everyone admired. He willingly gave it all up so Simon of Cyrene, who carried Jesus cross, could escape and live to tell of his experience with Jesus. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2Bowxf8

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Friday 1/25 ~ Give up your freedom?

On January 25, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, ego, ethics, forgiveness, healing, judging, love, patienceLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 25 (1/25), is James 1:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it ~ he will be blessed in what he does.”

A lot of people do not understand that there was the Law of Moses with over 600 commands in the Old Testament, and the Law of Jesus with very few commands in the New Testament. Religious leaders use the Law of Moses to justify adding fancy or fun things to worship or a separate priesthood or tithing, or whatever they like.

But they leave out stoning for adultery or disobeying your parents, killing someone who killed your relative, knocking the eye out of someone who knocked your eye out, giving a third of your income (not just a tenth), killing animals to sacrifice, etc. It’s all part of the same Law!

Romans 7:4-7 says Christians have been released from the Law. Hebrews 8:13 & all of chapter 9 say the first covenant (testament/law) of Moses had regulations for worship but is obsolete in favor of the new covenant (testament/law). James 2:10 says if you try to live by the old Law but fail in just one point, you are guilty of all of it.

But how are you to know what was in the Old Law of Moses besides the fancy or fun things today’s religious leaders like? There is only one possible answer: Read it. Plow through Leviticus and all those minute codes. Then you will understand.

Let us truly let loose of the old Law of Moses and cling to the “perfect Law that gives freedom” in Christ.

TITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT is a successful arbitrator. Paul converts him and sends him to congregations with problems. it is amazing how he calms everyone down and makes both sides think they won. To BUY NOW click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2FZi0qR

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