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saras-devotionals · 5 days

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Quiet Time 4/25

What am I feeling today?

A little less overwhelmed, just exhausted and feeling like I’m being pulled in multiple directions. I’m trying to do my best and I really hope it all turns out the way it’s supposed to!

The Humility Of Jesus

There are not too many people who could describe themselves as humble and have a great number of others believe them. But Jesus did just that. Listen to his words:

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””

what specifically does Jesus want us to imitate in his character? In this passage it is his gentleness and his humility

Jesus did not do or say anything apart from what his Father desired; he was totally dependent on him. At the heart of being humble is being dependent on God. Jesus was the most humble man ever to live, because no one was ever more dependent on God than he was. No one was ever less self-sufficient than the man who seemingly had the most reason to be so.

One of the subtle manifestations of pride is having a self-sufficient attitude. While I don't personally walk around feeling prideful, I do often see an attitude of self-sufficiency in me, which is clearly pride. For example, I like to work alone. I insisted on doing my own work exclusively as I was growing up. I rarely asked for help. I seldom felt lonely, and my escapist dreams were all about being off alone as a farmer or rancher, building something all by myselfWhether it was for school or any other project, I liked to figure it out myself.

Pride does not ask for, or like to ask for, help

Pride is in total contrast to Jesus. Jesus is humble in heart and sees his need for God. He did nothing, said nothing apart from his dependence on God. And as a result, Jesus was not weary or burdened with life

We can be self-sufficient (and therefore prideful) in our ef- forts to spiritual. We can be self-reliant in trying overcome sin. Consider this passage from 2 Chronicles 7:13-14:

““When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Sometimes in Scripture the order of things is very impor- tant, and this seems true here. The first step in getting right with God is being humble, not "turning from our wicked ways." Now, if we are humble, we do turn. But we should not start by thinking, "I'll turn from my sins, my wicked ways, and then I (in my self-sufficient way) will have earned my place with God. Then I will be humble." Humble is the last thing we will be!

Remembering that we "were bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20) and understanding that we now belong to God helps us to see that we can no longer be self-sufficient. Because God "sends me," my life will change: I will not do what I want, but what God wants, in every area of my life.

Jesus also shows his humility in the way he served. He served others instead of being self-occupied, even in his times of greatest personal trial

Jesus welcomed children, women, "sinners,” tax collectors, the hurting (lepers, sick) and demoniacs-again, not the associates of the prideful. But Jesus did not just associate with these people, he served them.

There are several telltale signs of self-occupation: Are your prayers mainly about yourself? Are your conversations mainly about yourself? Do you do most of the talking in your interaction with others? Do you rarely serve others in the mundane ways? Are there some things that you just do not you should ever be asked to do? Are you more worried about your position in the eyes of others or in God's eyes? If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will not be afraid of humble service. You will see in his life the glory of service, and you will be ready to take the towel and the basin and wash feet.

Pride offends God by self-exaltation, offends others by self-occupation and damages self by self-deception. This delusion increases until one fancies oneself so high as to be invulnerable. The Bible says a lot about that. Jesus is the opposite at every point.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”

Disciples of Jesus must have the greatest commitment to humility

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saras-devotionals · 6 days

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I implore you gently to read your Bible today. If you’ve never read the Bible before, you can start with the first four books of the New Testament. These are called the gospels. They teach you about who Jesus was, what He did, and what He said. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and how much you agree with Him. God is not what you’ve been told He is! He is on your side and loves you deeply.

You can also read the Psalms. These are songs written primarily to or about God by David, an ancient king. They’re quick and easy and really useful when you’re feeling strong emotions. David is often depressed, despairing, and angry in these songs. But you get to see the journey through David’s relationship with Hod between each psalm. I think you will find these relatable. There are so many of them that have comforted me while I was in a terrible mental state. There are many joyful ones too.

If you need some help, message me. God bless you. 🩷

#this is so great!#I would highly encourage you all to read the Bible #and even reread!#I guarantee you learn something new every time you read!

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saras-devotionals · 7 days

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Quiet Time 4/23

What am I feeling today?

Honestly, I feel guilty for not posting my quiet times lately. I’ve been learning some incredible things and it’s selfish to keep it to myself and also not useful to me if I don’t have it written down anywhere because then I forget! Also, I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s my last week of the semester and I’m worried about school, the fashion show, and women’s day at my church because they’re all happening within this next week and it’s just a lot on my plate because I want to be able to achieve it all to the best of my ability.

The Prideful Soul’s Guide to Humility

Reality Will Not Change

Man will never succeed in his effort to pull himself up to the level of God, and he certainly will never be in a position where he will be able to look down on God. Cocky, arrogant man may make disparaging comments about God. He may ridicule God. He may prance and strut around as though he is more clever than God. He may boast that he does not need God. He may live as though he is "the master of his fate and the captain of his soul." But one day he will stand in the presence of the righteous and holy God, and he will tremble as he realizes that he was never greater than God. It was all an absurd, fool-hearted and deadly game of pretending. Isaiah describes such a man

Isaiah 14:12-17 NIV

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?””

This ruler that Isaiah is describing once exercised authority over many. So expansive was his power that he fantasized that he could make himself like the Most High. But his glory was short-lived, and he ended up just like the other men in the shame of the grave.

So it will be with every pride. ful soul that does not bow in humility before the God who made him. Nothing man can do will change reality. He is not God. He will never be God. As long as he ignores that truth, his life will be headed for a disastrous conclusion. For God opposes the proud.

James 4:6 NIV

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””

1 Peter 5:5 NIV

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””

The Truth Sets You Free

Jesus taught, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." Even those who do not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ agree that this is the highest kind of wisdom. Universities place this saying over their doors. Scientists are fiercely committed to finding the truth. Whenever you ask for guidance or counsel, you want to get it from someone who is fully in touch with the truth.

When you make decisions on the most important issues in your life, you need to be in touch with the most central truths of life. The most important truth any of us can ever know is that there is a God, but we are not him. Any confusion about either one of those things gets us into big trouble. There is a great and powerful God who wants a relationship with us and who will use his amazing power to bless our lives, but we are the creatures and he is the Creator. Everything we have, we have from his hand. Have you done some great things? Have you received some recognition for accomplishments? If so, you did those things with the mind and strength God gave you. Without him you would be nothing.

As Paul said to the proud Athenians: “He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25)

The basis for humility, then, is quite simple. Humility is the only thing that makes sense because of how eternal and unchanging and powerful God is and how fading and precarious and dependent we are. Nothing you do in your life will ever change that. People are sometimes humble until they enjoy some great success. What fools we can be! A little success, achieved by the grace of God, does not change the nature of reality. It does not change who you are and who God is.

To live in accordance with the truth, we all need to practice the presence of God. We need to live all the time just as if we were standing in the presence of someone very important because we are. Think of some recent prideful thing you did. Would you have done that if you had been aware that you were standing in the very presence of the holy, righteous and almighty God? Would you have treated your friend the way you did? Would you have treated your spouse the way you did? Would you have taken the credit that you took? Would you have been defensive when corrected?

This is such a good reminder for me because sometimes I don’t think about the fact that everything I do is in the presence of God. I can go about my day ignoring Him sometimes or thinking He’s not around to see certain things but that so blind and ignorant! He’s literally watching me right now and every moment of my life! I need to go about the days of my life acknowledging Him because He’s everywhere!

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saras-devotionals · 12 days

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Quiet Time 4/18

What am I feeling today?

A little overwhelmed and frustrated. I’m having a hard time balancing my spiritual life as well as other aspects (school, work, practice, etc.). I want to exceed in all but I just have no motivation to keep going

The Prideful Soul’s Guide to Humility

Pride is so wasteful. So much time is wasted because of pride. So much money and energy is wasted because of it. Those of us in the kingdom of God have a divine mission, and we have limited amounts of time, money and energy to carry it out. But how many of these valuable resources are wasted simply because of how stubborn, resistant and prideful we can be.

Think of all the time wasted when disciples could have been using an evening to find someone new to bring to Christ. Instead, those hours were spent trying to get some brother or sister who knew better to let go of their pride and just let God work. There is really no way to estimate how many hours could have been used for fresh impact on a waiting world that were instead spent trying to convince a prideful Christian of something that humility would have grasped in a moment

Pride is a nasty thing. Pride is as wicked as it gets. Pride hurts. Pride wastes. Ultimately, pride kills.

Reflection:

I think my problem is being honest with myself on the reality of it all. I always knew that I was a stubborn person that liked things my way (as I believe most people are) but I never saw myself as prideful. I never thought of it as an issue for me.

Looking through this book, I can see that I am prideful. I take pride in my academics and my looks. Actually I used to be very prideful of how smart I was when I was young but that took a crushing blow when I went on to middle school. Even in high school, I did even worse, getting Cs and Ds and actually wondering if a university would take me or if I’d have to end up going to community college. Even my freshman year of college was brutal and I failed a class. Tbh, I think that helped in knocking down my pride. I’m doing much better in school now by God’s grace because I really don’t know how else I could’ve continued going through nursing school if I didn’t have Him to rely on.

I know I began taking pride in my looks around middle school or early high school because that’s when I finally started getting attention from guys. I thought myself better than so many others and I’d go all out every day, wishing to outshine everyone with pretty outfits and showing off. In hindsight, it was kinda ridiculous but I took pride in it. Freshman year of college also brought me back down again - I had to get rid of more than half my clothes, I broke out terribly - my skin was the worst it’s ever been, I gained close to 30lbs and was the biggest I’d ever been. All of that really ruined my confidence and any pride I had in my looks.

Thinking back now, maybe this was God’s way of humbling me. Take things away I was prideful in as an attempt to break me down to a point where I would be willing to go to Him. Or maybe not, because when I did start studying the Bible was the period in my life where everything had turned around, I felt on top of the world and then I became a disciple and I do have this fear that if I enjoy too much what I have right now, God will just take it all away again.

I should clarify, I’m still prideful in my heart. Because I do still take pride in my looks and academics but I wonder where’s the line? Am I not supposed to be happy of my grades? Should I not feel good that I like the way I look? At what point does it become pride and how do I prevent myself from going there?

Additionally, I need to take it more seriously. I always saw pride as an annoying trait in other people but never really sinful. But after reading how God views it, how do I have that message move from my head to my heart that pride is truly deadly and I need to cut it from my life completely.

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saras-devotionals · 12 days

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Quiet Time 4/17

What am I feeling today?

Honestly not much, I don’t feel any strong emotions today, just kinda chugging along and feeling really grateful for what God has done lately. Oh wait, actually, I felt pretty bummed out bc the Penguins are out of playoff spot since last night :/ so yeah, that really sucked for me🥲

The Prideful Soul’s Guide to Humility

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.”

showing that pride led to his downfall (a king) and he became afflicted with leprosy until the day he died.

2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.”

Pride is something that can bring about God’s wrath and it requires repentance!

Pride is the exact opposite of humility, and God's response to pride is the exact opposite of his response to humility.

What is pride?

It is almost always an attitude of self-sufficiency and independence ("I can handle this without help" or "I understand my situation better than anyone else").

It is often an attitude of self-righteousness ("I am at least as good as you are, probably better”).

It is sometimes an attitude of boastfulness ("Look what I did, and look what this proves I can do").

Its commonly an attitude of superiority ("My intellect is greater or my accomplishments are greater, or my looks are greater or something about me is greater").

Pride looks down on others. Pride does not listen well. It is stubborn. Pride is not eager to learn because it is confident in what it already knows. Pride is not quick to admit wrong because it fears it may look bad or lose its position. Pride is competitive and is easily threatened. Pride is insecure. Pride finds it hard to rejoice in the success of others.

Our biggest problem lies in taking it seriously. Far too many Christians still take pride too lightly

It is to Satan's credit how we have taken the sin that is the deepest and the most serious and have minimized and trivialized it. Before we will make much progress in becoming truly humble before God and each other, we must see the seriousness of our pride

What quality is most detested by God? What attitude of heart will always bring about a downfall? What character trait will ensure that there will be division? What quality cannot co- exist with love? Pride is the answer in each case

How is pride the root of other sins?

Sexual immorality: "I deserve to have my pleasure, and I should not have to worry about consequences."

Lying: "I do not trust that God can work through the truth. I have more confidence in my ability to deceive and to distort the facts."

Hatred: "I am better than you are, and I have a right to despise you for what you have done or what you are”

Rebellion: "I know better than my leaders, and I can accomplish better things by doing what I want to do."

Ignoring the needs of others: "My life is the most im- portant thing: accomplishing my goals, getting my pleasure, fulfilling my needs.”

Ingratitude: "I have what I have because I worked for it, or at least because I deserve it. Plus, there are other things that I deserve to have."

Disobedience: "I know the Bible says this, but I have a better way”

Discord: "I have no need for a relationship with you. I will be able to accomplish what I need to without unity.”

Prejudice and racism: "Those people just aren't as good as we are."

Where there is pride, there is no spirit of utter dependence on him.

Psalms‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”

‭‭ Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

the prideful soul must be dealt with because it is so set against God ‭‭

Proverbs 16:5 NIV

“The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

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saras-devotionals · 15 days

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Quiet Time 4/15

What am I feeling today?

My stress is trying to get the best of me. I’m thinking about the rest of the month and everything that needs to get done in that time. I can be tempted to slack in my spiritual life to make time but that’s the worst possible thing to do. I just need to lock in and pray to perform the best way I can.

**my quiet times for the next month will be coming from a book called: “the prideful soul’s guide to humility🙏🏼

He receives us on the basis of heart, and no quality of heart is more important to Him than humility

Matthew 18:1-5 NIV

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”

Jesus often said things that were designed to get his disciples' attention-to break through their dullness. This was likely one of those times. Jesus' pointed words make it clear that humility is not something to work on someday. It is not a second- ary quality that is nice to have and one that makes a person a bit easier to get along with. It is the fundamental of all fundamentals. It is the soul of discipleship. It is the one attitude of heart and mind that we must be most concerned about. It is the one quality, above all else, for which to pray

While doubt is sometimes rebuked in the Scriptures, it is not always viewed as a horrible problem. Doubters are not automatically condemned, but are often given help and shown mercy (see Matthew 28:16-20, John 20:21-28 Jude 22). What you have to be most concerned about is pride. If you stay humble as you face your doubts, remaining teach. able and open to counsel, you will work them through, and you will be fine.

Matthew 28:16-20 NIV

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

John 20:21-28 NIV

“Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!””

Jude 1:22 NIV

“Be merciful to those who doubt;”

The problem comes when people doubt and become prideful in their doubts. That is a deadly combination. The truth is that you can add pride to any number of challenges and you get the same result. Failure plus humility will lead to eventual victory-example: Peter.

Failure plus pride leads to more failure-example: Judas. Add humility to weaknesses, disappointments and the like, and you will eventually get a good outcome. We have all heard that what happens to us is not nearly as important as the attitude that we have when it happens. This is true, and humility is the most crucial attitude we can ever have

The reward for pursuing humility is found in the fact that it draws us ever closer to the heart of God-the very place for which we were made

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saras-devotionals · 18 days

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Quiet Time 4/12

What am I feeling today?

I feel a little discouraged from yesterday on behalf of my brother but all in all, I feel pretty alright this morning. Last night ended on a good note, I just wish I was able to get more sleep (also wish I hadn’t seen the guy I like bc it’s never good for me)

Bible Plan: 7 Ways To Renew Your Mind

First Step

Stop waiting for an outside miracle to change your mind.

Most of those miracles will never come until you get rid of the chaos in your mind by filling it with God’s Word. Renewing of the mind will never work if someone believes this excuse, “The reason why my mind is so negative is because my life is so hard.” Have you ever thought that maybe the reason your life is so hard is because your mind is so negative? You cannot have miracles in your life regularly if your mind is a mess.

Stop making your mind a sidewalk for the Devil to trample on, make it a disciple to the Word of God. The type of ground where the birds stole the seed was along the path (see Matthew 13:4). Do not let the Devil walk on your mind as a sidewalk, otherwise the Word of God has no chance to bring change. The birds will steal it from your heart.

Israel thought that more miracles will change their minds, but most of them died as victims in the wilderness, even though they witnessed more miracles than any other generation will have a chance to see. The Pharisees believed this same lie, that if Jesus would do a few more miracles, then they would believe He was the Son of God. In spite of all the supernatural things Jesus did, including the resurrection of the dead, they still remained unconvinced.

Do not get me wrong, we need miracles, but they alone do not change our minds without our humility and willingness to make God’s Word the standard for our lives. Remember, the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay. Miracles are like that—for those who are hungry for God's Word, miracles help our faith, but for those who are refusing God's Word to have dominion over their lives, miracles are never enough. If you stop blaming your circumstances for your negative thinking, God will start working on you in a powerful way.

I don’t believe this is much of an issue for me because I know I try to keep a positive mentality daily. Yes, I know I have my challenges, but I also know they aren’t impossible and I can always rely on God.

However, they are some days that are more of a struggle than others because of my mental health. I have a diagnosis of three mental disorders and it can just be a heavy burden to carry sometimes but I know I am able to overcome it. Though, never on my own strength. I tried that before I was a disciple and it was a complete failure. There’s nothing I had on my own that could help me. What heals is a relationship with Him and the Word of God!

Joshua 1:8 NIV

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

This provides reasoning for reading every single day! But don’t just read a single verse, or read for the sake of reading, read to understand and obey! The key word here is meditate, you want it to sit in you, you want these words to live in you, to have them on your heart and be sure to obey!

Romana 12:2 NIV

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

One, we’re separate from the world. It is not possible for you to still serve the world and also serve God. You cannot have two masters, either you commit to the Lord 100% or He means nothing to you.

Two, renewing of the mind! I feel I need help in this area. Some things have changed yes, but I can and need to improve so much more!

Matthew 13:3-9 NIV

“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.””

All the different ways we can receive the word! We really want to aim to be the good soil and produce a crop, we want to be able to bring others to Christ as well. We’re here to also seek and save the lost and we can’t do that if we remain unchanged after having seeking God.

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saras-devotionals · 19 days

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Quiet Time 4/11

What am I feeling today?

physical pain, it still hasn’t gone away. also excitement but worry about the birthday dinner for my brother tonight because it completely slipped my mind that I have clinical tomorrow. A little anxious about my final today, I pray that I’m successful! Also, I had a really weird dream, it was so detailed and I don’t know who the guy was but it was just so odd.

Luke 24 NIV

(v. 1-8) “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.”

I just still think it’s really incredible that women were the ones who discovered the empty tomb and they were the ones the angels appeared to! It shows a form of respect and love from God that I think is really sweet and honoring.

(v. 10-11) “It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Not to throw any shade to the apostles but did they not believe them because it sounded impossible (and came from women)? Or was it just the nonsense of it? Would they have reacted differently if three or more of the brothers had told them this? Was it a credibility issue? Then again, it is pretty insane to claim that someone has rose from the dead so I can understand.

(v. 15-16) “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.”

I always wondered about this, what exactly did Jesus do that they couldn’t recognize him? Like it boggles my mind that he walked among them and they just didn’t realize it was him!

(v. 30-31) “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.”

So what happened?! Did it just click? Was it like a mist fell away from their eyes? And then Jesus just disappeared! Why? I just wish I was able to know what actually happened :(

(v. 36-39) “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.””

Idk why but the first thing I got from this was Jesus confirming ghosts😅 but then that brings up a lot of questions that I’ll ask someone else. Besides that! Jesus was with them and in the flesh! Like as an actual person! In a physical body among them! That’s incredible!!

(v. 44-49) “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.””

I love this because I ask for the same -> He opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures! I think it’s wise to pray for understanding when you’re reading so God can reveal what you need to get out of His word. Also! Just Jesus confirming to them how he has accomplished all that was said about him in the OT🤗

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saras-devotionals · 20 days

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Quiet Time 4/10

What am I feeling today?

Well currently I’m in pain, it’s been going on for a little over a week now and it’s just been bothering me. Also, I suspect I may have fallen into another depressive episode. I didn’t want to post my quiet times for a few days but now I feel I should because I want to dive into my emotions.

Psalm 13 NIV

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

Whenever I really feel sorrow weighing on my heart, I read this Psalm because I can relate a lot to David here.

I think about this life especially: How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? I think this encapsulates depression quite well and how I feel.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” -> this is the reminder though! Despite all I’m feeling, I’ll continue to trust and praise God! Because even now, I know that He’s still good to me! I know He loves me and cares for me and has a plan for me and I should push myself to focus on that.

However, lately, everything has just brought me sorrow. My heart is hurting and I keep trying to pinpoint what it is. The only thing I can really think of is that I’ve been reflecting on my past too much. I visited my birth city twice in the past month and it brought back a lot of memories and nostalgia. I think I’m just grieving my childhood, that I’m an adult now and I’ll never experience that again.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

I constantly try to remind myself of this when I get stuck in the past! However, I also think that I never really took the time to mourn my childhood. I know that I grew up too fast, had certain responsibilities as a kid that forced me to mature early, and also, I wanted to grow up. My parents warned me, others as well, enjoy your childhood! You’re only a kid once! I wish I listened to them!! I wish I didn’t race so quickly to adulthood because now I’m here and I wish I could relive the past, to be taken back and slow down to really enjoy what I had.

I feel that’s always been a problem for me. I focus too much on the future and therefore don’t enjoy the present and then regret it later on. I’m always looking to escape the now but then miss the past. Yknow they say you never really knew what you had until it’s gone and that’s so true!

Anyways! God says to forget the former things and not to dwell because He’s doing a new thing! And that’s true! He is! I should focus on the here and now and enjoy the present because that’s where He has me right now🙏🏼

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saras-devotionals · 25 days

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Quiet Time 4/5

What am I feeling today?

I’m feeling alright, I was quite productive yesterday which was good! I’m a little anxious of what today will bring but I look forward to it anyways! Hope to be in the OR this morning but whichever unit I’m floated to is sure to be enjoyable🤗

Luke 19 NIV

(v. 8-10) “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

Zacchaeus was a tax collector and some people were judging that Jesus would be eating with a sinner. But here we see that he was willing to give up his possessions and Jesus rewarded him. Also the last line is so crucial! Jesus came to seek and save the lost!!

(v. 35-40) “They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.””

I really like this last line. Because obviously that people of the crowd are praising him as we are His creation and meant to give praise. But Jesus is here saying that even if the people were quiet, the stones (and I interpret this as all of God’s creation) would cry out! I just think that’s powerful, that all things are meant to praise the Lord!

(v. 41-44) “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.””

he wept :( I appreciate these moments because it humanizes Jesus. He was human, he had emotions, he cried, he did all things that we do as well and we’re so lucky to have the Lord know what it’s like to be us. He loved the perfect life and our aim should be to imitate him in every way.

(v. 47-48) “Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.”

It’s just really intense when you think about it. They wanted to kill him. They were set on that. Every really early on and it’s quite disturbing really for them to pursue it so much to the point that they finally made it happen. And what a gruesome death it was :(

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saras-devotionals · 25 days

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Quiet Time 4/4

What am I feeling today?

Pretty relaxed and feeling good. I prayed some more than I normally do and it was refreshing. Today will be a good day I think and I can’t wait to get started!

Luke 18 NIV

(v. 1) “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Just this line encouraged me to pray first before I continued reading🙏🏼 a really good reminder that we should never give up in our prayer life, God always wants us to talk to Him.

(v. 7-8) “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?””

Basically, if we continually come to God with everything, He’ll bring us justice, He’ll work for us because we’re relying on Him. But we need to fully submit in all areas of our life.

(v. 9-14) “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

I never understood having that high and mighty mindset. We all fall short and we all sin. There’s nothing that is worse than the other, they all disgust and hurt God so we must repent of everything and be humble before Him, asking for mercy.

(v. 15-17) “People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.””

It’s sweet that he cared for the children and I think this is something that reflects on someone’s character. How willing are you to care for children? I think it says a lot! Also, that excitement and wonder we have as children is something we need to maintain while in the kingdom!

(v. 19) ““Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”

This right here!! I can call other people good or even myself but truth is, none of us are actually good.

(v. 24-25) “Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.””

Basically, money can’t be an idol or master of your life. Of course you need money in order to survive but you don’t need to be rich. Getting money shouldn’t be your motivation. There’s no point of building up wealth here on earth.

(v. 29-30) ““Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.””

Basically, when the time comes, we will be blessed for having given up everything for the sake of the kingdom🤗

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saras-devotionals · 27 days

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Quiet Time 4/3

What am I feeling today?

Really tired and sick. I went to bed a lot later than I normally do and suffering the consequences of it now but I needed to get that work down. Also my pain hasn’t gotten better these past few days which is a little concerning but I’m sure it’s nothing.

Luke 17 NIV

(v. 1-4)

“Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.””

I always turn to this scripture. I know that I am bound to come across things that will make me stumble but I should never be the one through who it comes from. It’s good to keep in mind when interacting with others, just being very conscious of your behavior because you should be reminded of the violent imagery Jesus provides of the type of fate those people should have!

(v. 6) “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

I always find this encroaching because sometimes I can think my faith is small

(v. 9-10) “Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ””

This is something I think about often. We’re owed nothing. Like absolutely nothing. God isn’t going to praise us for following Him or His commands because that’s already expected of us. It doesn’t make us special or worthy or anything of that sort.

(v. 27-35) “People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.””

Basically saying that we have no way of knowing when the time will come. People will go about their lives as they normally do and that it can happen at any moment. Which is kinda wild when you think about it. Also Jesus said to remember Lot’s wife! She looked back on her life and ended up losing her life because she disobeyed God. The same applies to us, we have given our lives over to Christ and we can’t look back now.

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saras-devotionals · 29 days

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Quiet Time 4/1

What am I feeling today?

Well I cried yesterday but I feel that I got it out of my system. I’m looking forward to today, I think I’ll be very productive and it’s also the start of a new month! Time to lock in though because only one month left until my last final for this semester and I have a lot of work to get done😅

Luke 16 NIV

(v. 4-9) “I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “ ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

I have to be honest I don’t completely understand this so I’m going for some commentary:

This lowering of the bills is the perfect analogy of the manner in which the scribes and Pharisees lowered the standards of righteousness as a device for keeping their hold upon the people

(v. 10-12) ““Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Basically we have to be trustworthy with whatever we have been given. If we can’t show that we can be trusted with a little bit, how can we ever be trusted with anything more? And furthermore, with riches that are not of earth!

(v. 13) ““No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.””

I don’t believe that I’ve made money a master. Then again, I don’t make much to begin with, a lot that is spent on my behalf comes from my parents. I worry that when it’s solely my own income I will become tight fisted because I won’t have anything to fall back on but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

(v. 15) “He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

I needed just a bit of commentary here too because I wasn’t sure who was referenced in terms of “you”

The men Jesus addressed here "tended to connect earthly prosperity and goodness. Wealth was a sign that a man was a good man." However, mere material prosperity, unsanctified by spiritual motivation and consciousness of stewardship under God, is here called an abomination in the sight of God

(v. 25-26) ““But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’”

Once you have arrived at your station in the afterlife, whether that be heaven or hell, you’re there for eternity. There’s no opportunity for you to move from one or the other which shows the importance of what your life is here because it will dictate your future.

(v. 31) ““He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ””

Was this a foreshadowing of Jesus? That even if some people witnessed his resurrection or heard about it, they would still not believe in him?

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saras-devotionals · 1 month

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Quiet Time 3/30

What am I feeling today?

Kinda frustrated and annoyed. There’s this guy and I want to lose feelings for him. I just don’t think anything could ever happen between us so for my sake and sanity I need to move on. But every time I think I’m fine, I see him again, and all the feelings come rushing back and it’s so frustrating! Anyways, I’m just feeling this way because I briefly saw him last night and then I dreamt about him and it brought back memories that I’m trying to put out of my mind because I just can’t take it anymore. I wish to be free of him.

Luke 14 NIV

(v. 3-5) “Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?””

There’s not much to add to this other than it was kind of Jesus to heal on the Sabbath and tried to show how it would be similar to saving someone or something you love. You wouldn’t just let them suffer for another day but you would immediately try and rescue them!

(v. 11) “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

Jesús used the parable of a wedding before he said this. That if you are a guest, you wouldn’t take the place of honor (like bridesmaids) otherwise you’d be escorted and embarrassed. And if you take the lowest place, the host will bring you up and take you to a better spot. All in all, it’s to support his point right here. We should not value ourselves so much higher than we are because we’ll be humbled. Rather if we already humble ourselves, we will eventually be exalted.

(v. 13-14) “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.””

This applies to us now in who to love and care for. We should constantly be aware of the fact that there are people in need, people less fortunate than ourselves. It should be put on our hearts to care for them, to offer what we have, because we’re all human at the end of the day. Our lives are not more valuable than theirs.

(v. 26-27) ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

This verse does not actually mean that we should hate our family or ourselves (we need to love them and us!). But instead, our love for Jesus should be far, far greater! Our love for Jesus should be so evident that all our other relationships appear as hate because of how great our love is for Jesus. Also, as disciples, we all need to deny ourselves and carry our cross daily!

(v. 28-33) ““Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

This scripture goes over what it’s like to count the cost of being a disciple. Before you become a Christian, you have to see whether you can be. Are you willing to commit the rest of your life to Christ? Are you willing to keep his commands every single day? Will you preach the word and evangelize? fulfilling the great commission because that’s what all his disciples are called to do, not just the ministry? there’s a lot you need to consider and if you’re not willing to give it all up for Christ, you can’t be his disciple, he says so himself.

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saras-devotionals · 1 month

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Quiet Time 3/29

What am I feeling today?

Pretty good, I woke up on time and I’m going to be meeting with a friend soon that I haven’t seen in maybe 5 years? It’ll be really nice to catch up with her because we used to be very close. I’m feeling hopeful about today and looking forward to what I can accomplish!

Women’s Midweek Lesson - Teachability - Recap

The women in our church had an incredible lesson on teachability and as much as I’d love to share the whole thing, for this morning I’m just going to focus on what stood out to me🤗

How easy is it for someone to teach you?

We were asked this question at the beginning of the lesson and I originally put down a 7/8

Are you unteachable?

Proverbs 12:15 NIV

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Are we being fools? Am I so stuck in what I believe is right that I won’t allow anyone to tell me otherwise?

I know I can be like this sometimes. I acknowledge that I’m a stubborn person and I don’t like to say I’m picky but rather particular about how I like things done/handled. I know that stems from a desire of control and familiarity. I don’t like change, I don’t like unpredictability, I don’t like feeling unprepared so I stick with what I know.

To give examples, I read the last chapter of a book before starting it, I watch the same shows over and over again, I read the whole summary of a movie before watching it, I cook the same meals every day, I organize everything in the same spot and have designated hangers for each of my clothes, and there’s many more things I could list. These are all things I do to ensure my comfort and sense of control (I’ll touch more on the comfort zone later though).

Do you only do the bare minimum?

I know I am guilty of this. I don’t wish for my response to come across as making excuses but moreso and explanation. I take on a lot of tasks and responsibilities. I have a lot on my plate and they are all things that I have chosen to do. However, with all of those things, my time is constrained and most days I feel that I am stretched too thin. I block time for each responsibility but I feel as though I’m not always able to give my best or as much as I want to or something else will go unaccomplished.

This relates to my life as a disciple. I block an hour of time each morning for my quiet times but I feel that it’s the bare minimum. I wish I could do more but to do more, I’d have to sacrifice something else. My hope is that when summer comes around, many of my responsibilities will be freed up and I’ll have extra time to dive deeper into the study of the Word.

Do you talk a lot to avoid hearing advice?

Proverbs 10:19, 18:2 NIV

“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”

“Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”

These two scriptures touch on holding the tongue and airing out one’s own opinion.

I go back and forth on this. Many people when they initially meet me regard me as shy and quiet. That’s how I’ve been labeled my whole life, I even remember times in school when some classmates would ask if I even talked🫥

However, I love to talk. I joke sometimes with my brother saying I’m a professional yapper. Or I’ll post things like this in reference to me:

Which roughly translates too, I talk a lot, I’m like a podcast. My family knows this. I’ll talk to them all day long about everything and anything. Sometimes I don’t even say things of substance, just mumbling the theme songs to mario or star wars or making random sounds.

But I digress, see even in texting I talk too much.

Anyways, when I have time with my discipler, sometimes I worry that maybe I talk too much. I’ve tried to implement something new the past few months. I let her give me whatever lesson she has planned and once we finish that, I have my own list of things I want to discuss and take the end time to bring it up. I think this works and prevents me from wasting time talking but I’ll talk with her again today about all this and see if she thinks I talk too much because I think I do😅

Do you always look for comfort and familiarity? Are you prepared to get out of your comfort zone?

Proverbs 1:32 NIV

“For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;”

I looked up the definitions to be sure and then synonyms. You can think of wayward as willful, headstrong, stubborn, and complacent as smug, pride, self-satisfaction.

I touched on this earlier, noting that I’m stubborn and like my comfort. But here it says that these same traits will kill and destroy me. That’s worrisome. I want to know the root of it though. Obviously people like to be comfortable, I feel that’s human nature.

But whats the root of my stubbornness? why do I feel the need to be in control? what’s the reason for me being so particular? why does it bother me so much when something is not done the way I like it/do it? (I’ll try reading this out or finding a plan to work through this)

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saras-devotionals · 1 month

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Quiet Time 3/26

What am I feeling today?

I’m in a bit of pain that’s been lasting for about four to five days now and I had hoped I’d have gone away by now but hasn’t. I’m also saddened by the bridge collapsing in Baltimore earlier today, could you imagine how terrifying that must’ve been? To be driving across a bridge, it’s breaking and collapsing, and then you and your car are plunged in the river below in the middle of the night, surrounded by darkness? It breaks my heart, that must be truly traumatizing and I pray that they recover everyone and that they’re all okay. On the bright side, I get to travel back to my home city again and I’m bringing one of my friends and niece and can’t wait to show them Pittsburgh! It’s always nice going back home🥹

Luke 11 NIV

(v. 2-4) “He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’ ””

Here’s Jesus giving us the example of how we’re supposed to pray. I don’t believe we are meant to say this word for word every time, more so to use it as a template. Praising God first and thanking Him for what He’s gone for us. Petitioning and making our requests before Him. And finally, forgiveness for our sins because even as disciples, we sin daily, none of us can say that we’re without sin.

(v. 9-13) “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I know that I ask God for a lot. Every day I present requests to Him but I know that I don’t actually deserve anything. Not to put my worry down or anything but God already gave us His son when she didn’t need to. That’s already a gift that we’re unworthy of but He gave Jesus because He loves us. And He’ll give us other things we pray for (as long as it honors Him) because He loves us. Also, in the verse beforehand, at the end of the parable Jesus is giving, he says that it’s given because of the man’s “shameless audacity” and honestly it made me laugh because it’s so true! Who are we that we feel we are in any position to ask God for whatever we want when we’re not even really worthy of life (but are now bc of Jesus).

(v. 24-26) ““When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.””

I think this is kinda terrifying, but also annoying. Terrifying in that even when the impure spirits leave us as we come into our lives with Christ, then be back and even stronger, with more wicked spirits. I say it’s annoying because they’re coming back, like come on! really? y’all can’t just leave us alone in peace but gotta keep attacking us? but, with the word of God and with Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can resist these attacks and stand firm in our faith.

(v. 28) “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.””

This! It is not enough to just listen to the word of God. We can listen to the Bible for every second of our life, but if we don’t do what it says, then it’s all been in vain. I think this myself sometimes, every day I sin and I’m aware that I don’t obey everything as I should. I can catch myself, and note where I need to improve, and make a daily effort, but I also know I’ll always fall short.

(v. 34-36) “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.””

I had a bit of a hard time understanding this so I went to some commentary for clarity:

Here Jesus addressed himself to correcting his hearers’ inability (through their sins) to appreciate truth, and to read God’s sign, when they should finally see it. It was not at all the nature of the sign that needed correction but the quality of perception in his sinful audience, the evil generation which confronted him.

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saras-devotionals · 1 month

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Quiet Time 3/23

What am I feeling today?

I wish I had woken up earlier. I feel like I had been asleep forever and wasted the majority of my day so I’m kinda beating myself up about it. Also, I dreamt about my ex last night and it brought back all those emotions but I think it brought some closure too. Also dreamt about the guy I like, it’s not fair, every single time I think ‘I’m over him! I’m totally over him! It’s never gonna happen!’ then I see him again (I saw him last night) and my heart goes wild all over again and I’m so tired of it. I want to be able to move on from him bc that’s the advice I’ve received, that it’s probably never going to happen and sure it stings and hurts every time I’m told that and I wish it didn’t and the only way it wouldn’t is if I could move on!! sometimes I kinda just wanna scream or cry in frustration bc I’m just so sick of it! Anyways, I’m sorry about that rant, I guess I just needed to get that off my chest.

Bible Plan: Spiritual Wilderness

The Spiritual wilderness is a place of wandering. It’s a time when our feelings can fade, our finances might get dry, our relationships get sour, our experiences with God seem to be shallow, and our doubts get amplified.

Spiritual wilderness is spiritual warfare. There is one key that can help us win this spiritual warfare and move us from a spiritual wilderness to victory. That key is worship!

In the wilderness, we will either whine or worship. Chronic complaining may seem natural and come easy, but it has dangerous consequences. Complaining is to the devil what worship is to God.

Wilderness is a dry place; worship is the water! Naturally, we get water from a lake, river, or well. The children of Israel got their water from the Rock. The Rock symbolizes Jesus Christ. That speaks to us today that our worship must flow from who God is especially in our difficult days. Even if our life is currently not doing well, God is good. Worship is essential to surviving wilderness. It will keep us spiritually hydrated.

Not only does worship help us get through hard times without becoming whiners, it is also our spiritual weapon. We are created to worship but called to warfare. One of our weapons is worship. God wants us to have praises in our mouths and His sword in our hands. Spiritual warfare doesn’t work if our mouth is full of complaining and admitting defeat.

Complaining is to the devil what worship is to God. <- this line stood out to me! I kept in mind what the Bible says about grumbling and I caught myself a couple days ago and it really hit me! And with this line!! It hurts even harder!! My goal is to not complain for the rest of the day, whatever I have to get done, whatever I have to do, I’ll do so with worship on my tongue, not complaining because the Lord desires and deserves worship!!

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.””

I think this is really sweet🥹 talking about how He’s with us and will gather us from the end of the earth🥹 also keep in mind that God formed and made you, I know some people can get on about how they look and even I can get like that too but remember your creator, remember that He made you and He loves you and creature you for His glory!

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.”

Tbh this just further shows you the power of praise! Even though they were in prison, they never stopped praying and giving glory to God!

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