LivethruJesus

God wants to fight for us, but we must yield to Him. When we take matters into our own hands, we are taking them out of God’s hands. Be attentive to His delays and listen to His reasonings. Align yourself with Him by making sure you are doing things His way. This will not only leave room for God to work on our behalf, but it will keep us from sin. He wants to save us from ourselves. But we have to...

It’s hard to be the bigger person. It takes strength and humility and often the other person does not deserve our forgiveness, mercy, or kindness. But we aren’t doing it for them. We are doing it because that’s what’s right and because it’s not our job to make people pay for their sins. God knows who’s right and wrong, and also when to show mercy and when to punish. So, we just need to do what’s r...

Sometimes we hold on to things so tightly that we forget who gave them to us and why. When we hold on too tightly, we risk losing everything. We must learn to give up control and entrust our lives to the One who gave them to us. Only then will we feel truly free and only then will we be free to enjoy all the gifts God has given to us. When we refuse to give up control, sometimes we end up losing t...

It can be hard to choose justice over the person we love. But Saul’s children chose David over their father because David was innocent and their father was the one in the wrong. Even though they knew their dad would be upset, they had to choose what was right. They both loved David, and they couldn’t let him get killed because they weren’t courageous enough to stand against their father’s jealous...

Sometimes we know what we should do, but we let our emotions get the better of us, and we sin. We may be able to control ourselves for a while. But willpower alone probably won’t be enough to keep you from sinning. We cant’ just tell ourselves not to feel a certain way or do a certain thing. We have to replace sinful, human things with righteous, godly things, or we will be left empty, and eventua...

If God is for you, then no one can stand against you. But if He is against you, then you are fighting a losing battle. God was for David and He made him successful in everything he did. But when Saul grew jealous and tried to destroy David, God went against Saul and wouldn't let any of his schemes succeed. We want God on our side. But the only way to ensure that is to be on His side. We must align...

David fought the giant, Goliath, in God's name and power and was victorious. He was the only one offended enough to fight for God. He also was the only one with enough courage and faith. What made him more offended, courageous, and trusting than everyone else and how can we be a champion like him, with the same courage and faith, standing up for God and His ways?

With God's Spirit comes power. In the Old Testament, His power enabled them for their calling. Today, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we also receive the Holy Spirit's power. He seals us for salvation as children of God and heirs in heaven. But He also enables us to do all He's called us to do by using our innate characteristics for His glory and by giving us unique ability to do thin...

We look at outward things, but God looks at the heart. Looks can be deceiving, but our hearts reveal who we really are. We may be able to fool people for a while, but eventually we will show our true colors. But God is never fooled. He knows our thoughts, feelings, and even our intentions. So, we need to focus on our hearts more than anything else. If our hearts look good, then we will also be att...

Sometimes we decide what we think God wants from us and He says, “I do not want or need that. Without love, obedience, faith, and true worship your offerings mean nothing.” God wants our hearts. He wants to be our Lord. Nothing tangible is acceptable.

Some people think they can work hard enough to get what they want or even to please God. Others rely on their dedication. The one with all the heart is the one who succeeds in the end, right? There are people who believe in superstitions, horoscopes, and tradition. But only those who place their faith in God will prevail in the end. So, choose to cooperate with Him and He will work through you to...

What seems right to us is not always what is right to God. People look at actions, but God looks at the heart. If our heart is aligned with Him, then our actions will be, too. But if our heart is not in the right place, then it doesn’t matter if our actions are right or not. They will not be pleasing to Him.

Because we can’t see God, sometimes we place our faith in people, not realizing that He is the source of their power. Then, because we know people are flawed, sometimes we don’t follow the leaders that God gives us, because again we don’t recognize that it is not through their power that they lead us, but through God’s. So, when we follow them, we are not really following them, we are following th...

When God chose Saul to be Israel’s king, the Holy Spirit rushed over Him and changed Him from the inside out. His heart was so changed that it could be seen outwardly. God’s Spirit changes us. When you accept Jesus into your life and commit to follow Him as Lord, you receive His indwelling Spirit. Through the Spirit, we receive power to do the things God has called us to. Then, as we feed His Spir...

God should be the one we serve; the one whose rules we follow; the one we fear; the one we worship. He is our Ruler and King. He protects and .provides. He cares for us like no man on earth ever could. Yet the Israelites rejected Him and asked for an earthly king.

Have you ever let your child win a game? Does that mean that you didn’t have the power to beat him? No. You restrained your power for a specific purpose, but it was never lacking. It may have looked like it to your child, but you could have revealed it at any time. That’s what happened when God let the Philistines defeat the Israelites. He had a that had to do with the Israelites, but He could not...

We cannot manipulate God into doing what we want, but the Israelites try to do that in this lesson. First we look at their story then we talk about how we may try to manipulate God into doing what we want by doing good deeds or invoking His name. We can't force God to do things that He doesn't want to do. His will does not bend to ours. Instead, we should bend our will to His. Seek to understand a...

God called to Samuel, but Samuel did not know it was Him because He did not know God well enough to know His voice. It can be difficult to know when God is speaking to us. But the better you know Him, the easier it will be to recognize His voice. It is also easier to trust Him when you know Him. So, seek to know God. Then, when He calls, listen and obey.

If you truly know and love God, then you will put Him in His proper place. But if you don’t know Him, you won’t love Him. If you don’t love Him, you won’t keep His commands. This seemed to be the problem that Eli’s sons had. So, at the end of this lesson we talk about knowing God better so we honor God’s ways and live out our calling. But Eli had another problem which we also touch on. He knew and...

Hannah had been feeling powerless for years. In a fit of desperation, she took her problem to the only One who has power. We, too, have access to the King of the Universe. He can be trusted with all our problems, fears, worries, needs, and wants. He may not always give us what we want but He always has our best interests at heart, He knows what is good and right for everyone, and He is the only On...

Hannah couldn't have children and she was devastated. This was not a problem that she or her husband or anyone else could fix. So, she took it to the Lord. She told Him that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to God. Everything we have was given to us by the Lord. So, it does not belong to us exclusively. It has been entrusted to us. So, we should be good stewards of what He’s giv...

Boaz redeems Naomi’s land and legacy, pointing us to the One who redeems us all and gives us an eternal inheritance. Through their lineage we see King David and eventually Jesus. Ruth is not an Israelite and we will also see two other ancestors who are foreigners. This shows us that all who adopt Jesus as their Savior and King, will be redeemed. Choose Him as your Kinsman Redeemer, the Brother who...

How well do you take care of those you love, your family and friends, community and church members? Do you look after the least of these? Do you take your responsibilities seriously? Are you reliable and trustworthy? Ruth took care of Naomi by following her to Israel and gleaning in the fields for food. But now Naomi follows up on her first caretaking mission which was for Ruth to find rest in the...

Ruth 2 - Most of the time, the phrase “you reap what you sow” is used in a negative way. It’s a warning not to be too mean, judgmental, stingy, or treat others badly in any way because you just might receive what you give to others. But here we see the positive side. When Ruth asked Boaz why he was being so kind to her, he said he was only returning the kindness she had shown to her mother-in-law....

This is the first episode of my new weekly devotion. Subscribe to the new Channel "LivethruJesus Weekly Devotions" to be notified each week when a new episode comes out. When reading the first chapter of Ruth, I saw how she made her faith her own whereas her sister-in-law's commitment was temporary and circumstantial. Our faith may begin as our parents, spouses, or friends, but eventually we must...