DEVOTIONS

January 13, 2026.

Day 11

A God who Enters into our Suffering

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.-Matthew 5:4

Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of my father’s passing. I miss him everyday. I remember the immense inner turmoil, the sadness, the anger, the grief, the deep sense of loss, and the terrifying sense of finality that washed over me in the days following his passing. Days blended into one, sleep left me like a woman abandoned by her lover. My appetite disintegrated into ash at the thought that my father, who used to spend a lot of time with me in the kitchen, would never eat again. The grief was palpable, and while I didn’t feel strong, I looked strong. I remember feeling in those times as though another strength was carrying me along. The words of every friend who called or visited stayed in my mind and, sadly, the absence and silence of others was even more stark in my memory than I desired.

As I drove home yesterday, I reasoned with the Lord about suffering. I recalled that in Acts 17, the Apostle Paul reasoned with a second group of philosophers in Athens called the Stoics. I wondered what their philosophy taught them about suffering. 

In my research, I discovered that Stoicism teaches that “everything hangs on one’s thinking, even pain”. Stoicism encourages its followers to redirect their thoughts away from pain to other thoughts as a way of alleviating suffering. In this way, they explain, suffering can be beneficial. If your right arm is broken, for example, you can begin learning how to write with your left hand. 

And, if your father dies? 

Stoicism would tell you that death is a rational part of life and thus need not to be feared. There is therefore no grieving the death of a loved one, as it is outside of your control anyway. You really should try to find the good in the painful situation- like learning to enjoy the life you have now and cherishing your family and friends who are alive. 

Furthermore, the god of Stoicism is pantheistic, which means their god is the universe- a rational entity as manifested through nature. What does this mean in my suffering? It means that the Stoic god could, perhaps, explain my pain, suffering or grief, but their god cannot enter into any of it- simply cannot relate. In this lies the crux of the matter. 

Why should I serve, know, love, care about a God who can only explain my suffering or teach me lessons in suffering, but he cannot ease it nor does he care to comfort me in it? 

The Stoic god is rational, but it is not loving nor, at the very least, helpful. 

In my discussion with the Lord yesterday, I pointed out to him that I knew he understood suffering: He was betrayed, denied, humiliated, mocked, persecuted, and heartbroken over the death of his friend, Lazarus, so I knew he knew pain, suffering and grief. He was, as Isaiah 53:3 says, “ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

The writer of Hebrews says, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…”- Hebrews 4:15

“So what, Lord?” I asked the Lord. “What is the significance to me if you know about human suffering?” He answered.

The Lord reminded me of something. You see, before my father passed away, I was aware that I had a weakness: I did not know how to grieve with other people. I wasn’t being intentionally selfish; I just did not know what to say or how to BE around grief because nobody close to me had ever passed away– nobody I had ever deeply loved, who was close to my heart. I felt secretly ashamed about it because I could not relate, and I did not want to pretend. (I also secretly feared what it would take for me to be able to relate!) I only went to funerals if I was required to go because it was just all so sad. Ironically, it pained me that I was not more equipped to handle grief, as bright as I was, but did I even want to be able to relate? I was not so sure. Well, I was not acquainted with it. 

Aha! The Lord got me there.

The God of the Bible knows pain, suffering and grief, and because he does, he is equipped to walk with us through it. He does not tell us to push it aside, so we can find peace of mind in something else like Stoicism teaches; rather, he invites us to hold his hand in it so he can provide comfort. He invites us in Hebrews 4:16 to come to him for help in our time of need. 

Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Our God feels. Our God knows. Our God cares. Our God comforts.  

With this thought, I take us back to The Apostle Paul’s debate with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Imagine how revolutionary it must have been to hear about Jesus Christ– a God who suffered, bled and died for humanity? Imagine hearing that this God rose from the grave! What? A God who suffered? Yes! A God who suffered! Jesus suffered so he can comfort us in our suffering; Jesus resurrected, so he can give us life and life more abundantly. 

Aren’t you glad that our God understands suffering? I sure am!

Invite Jesus into your suffering today. He wants to comfort, heal and strengthen you.

January 12, 2026.

Day 10

A God who Interferes

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.– Acts 17:31 (NLT)

On one of his missionary journeys in Macedonia, the Apostle Paul is in the Arepagus in Athens debating the Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers. He is presenting Jesus to them. They allow him to talk because they believe in intellectual discussions and they are polytheistic (they believe in multiple gods) so they want to hear what Paul has to say and who this “foreign god” is that he speaks of- Jesus.

One major facet of Epicureanism was the indifference of the gods. Their gods were too perfect to interfere with humanity. You can imagine how offensive Paul’s messge of Jesus Christ must have been to these philosphers. What? An interfering God? Yes! Our God interfered when He sent Jesus and he still interferes today through the Holy Spirit operating in the lives of His people. Our God interferes!

Let’s look at the other core values of Epicurean philosophy and contrast it with our Christian worldview as informed by the Holy Bible.

Epicureanism core values: 

1. Epicureanism: Pleasure as the Goal-The ultimate aim is pleasure, defined as the absence of physical pain and mental disturbance.

Bible: Whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandments- Ecc. 12:13

2. Moderation & Simplicity: True pleasure comes from satisfying natural, necessary desires (like food, shelter) and avoiding vain desires (fame, power) that lead to anxiety.

Bible: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.- Psalm 37:4/In his presence, there is fullness of joy.- Psalm 16: 11

3. Friendship: A cornerstone of the good life, providing security and joy.

Bible: Bad company corrupts good character- 1 Corinthians 15:33

4. Withdrawal from Public Life: Living “hidden to avoid the stresses of politics and public ambition.

Bible: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden….Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.- Matthew 5: 14-16

5. Naturalism: Explaining the world through atoms and void (materialism) to eliminate fear of supernatural forces, gods, and death. 

Bible: For since the creation of the world– his eternal power and divine nature–God’s invisible qualities are clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,   so people are without excuse. – Romans 1:20

6. Epicureans: The gods do not interfere in the affairs of men.

Bible: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him will not perish but have everlasting life- John 3:16/ And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever”- John 4:16

Paul’s mention of Jesus would have been revolting to the Epicureans because Paul was essentially saying that God had interfered so much so that he came in person through his son Jesus Christ into the earth. Not only that, but this “god” (as they would have understood it) died on a cross and then rose from the dead!

To them, this was babbling and foolishness. To us, Paul’s argument makes perfect sense! This is what we stand on: Our God interferes in the lives of men today.

Aren’t you happy that our God is concerned about us? I know I am. He’s never too busy!

January 11, 2026.

Day 9

Do I have the right philosophy?

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him– though he is not far from any one of us.- Acts 17:27 

David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature

Let me ask you a question: What is your philosophy of life? 

J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, authors of the book Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview say the following: “The ideas one largely believes determine the kind of person one becomes. Everyone has a philosophy or life. That is not optional. What is optional and, thus, of extreme importance is the adequacy of one’s philosophy of life.”

The Apostle Paul was deeply troubled by the idols he saw everywhere in the bustling city of Athens and, on one of his teaching occasions, he ended up in a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. 

In Paul’s time (around 50 AD) Athens was a significant cultural and intellectual center in Roman rule, famous for its philosophical schools (Plato’s academy, Aristotle’s Lyceum etc). It was brimming with temples, idols, and intellectual debates in the marketplace. There was a place in Athens called the stoa, a covered walkway where Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, used to hold his philosophical teaching sessions. Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, used to hold teaching sessions in the marketplace in Athens as well.  It was into this setting that Paul had walked– a place among the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. These men had absorbed “wisdom” from teachers who were mere men just like them.

What is a man who believes in Jesus to do now that he has found himself walking among men who consider themselves to be the sophisticated, great thinkers and learned men and women of their time? 

But, what is philosophy?

J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig explain that the word philosophy comes from two Greek words “philein: “to love” and “sophia” which means “wisdom”. 

Thus a philosopher is a “lover of wisdom”. 

Philosophy may therefore be defined as the attempt to think rationally and critically about life’s most important questions in order to obtain knowledge and wisdom about them. 

One must therefore consider the source of the wisdom from which we draw our philosophical conclusions because, if the source is corrupt, the conclusion will be incorrect, and this incorrect worldview is the lens through which we will view the issues of this life and make all our decisions.

Psalm 111:10 encourages us to make sure that all our wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and assures us that those who practice it have good understanding. As a believer in Christ, Paul’s philosophy of life was shaped by the holy scriptures and the reality of Jesus Christ, and this is the truth that he brought to the philosophers. How about you and me? Let us take the advice of James 1:5 today: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Are there areas of your life for which you realize you don’t have a right understanding? Do you need wisdom to change your life? Let us turn to the Lord as our ultimate source of wisdom and His Word as our grounding philosophy today.

January 10, 2026.

Day 8

Stand up in Boldness!

Proverbs 28:1

The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

As a recent student of the book of The Acts of the Apostles, I have found myself most intrigued and encouraged by the courage of the Apostles. 

• I recall Stephen, who stood before the Sanhedrin after being dragged before them to answer to the false accusations: “Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’” – Acts 6:11
• I recall the Apostle Peter, who faced intense persecution and was arrested by Herod. 
• The Apostle Paul was frequently imprisoned for speaking the truth and preaching about the Lord Jesus. He and Silas were stripped, beaten and thrown into prison, and their feet were fastened in stocks (Acts 16:22-24).

These are the questions I ask myself: Why didn’t they run away? Why didn’t they hide when people came after them to hurt them? Why didn’t they just disappear? Because they had the Truth on their side. In every instance that we see the Apostles face trouble, we see two things repeatedly happen:

1. They persevered in speaking the truth.
2. The Lord brought great deliverance. 

When we walk in righteousness, the Lord supports and protects us. Even though we may face trouble, lies, betrayal, injustice, the Lion of Judah shows up powerfully to bring deliverance. He showed up for Stephen (Acts 7:56), for Peter (Acts 12:6) and for Paul (Acts 16:26), and he will for us. It is his power in us and his presence with us that gives us courage and boldness to stand up in the face of persecution, injustice, slander and any other type of adversity that presents itself. 

Adam, in the Garden of Eden ran away when he heard the voice of the Lord. (Gen. 3:8-10)  Who was pursuing Adam? Nobody but the enemy within himself and his guilty conscience. When we are walking in righteousness, God gives us boldness– boldness to speak the truth, boldness to face adversity and boldness to walk in purpose! 

When we are walking in righteousness, God gives us boldness– boldness to speak the truth, boldness to face adversity and boldness to walk in purpose! 

The verse is not saying that wicked people cannot be bold and that righteous people never get timid; rather, it is making the point that there is something about wickedness that inspires fear in a person, that creates an invisible pursuer. If you have done nothing wrong and have the truth on your side, then the righteousness of God will give you the power and the strength to stand courageously. 

Stand up and face the enemy with boldness because the Lord (the Truth) is on your side. He is the lion in you, and he cannot lose!

January 3, 2026.

Day 1

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139: 14

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (KJV)

Do you remember the little boy who killed the giant Goliath? Yes, that was David, and he grew up to be a mighty King. In Psalm 139, however, he reflects on his life, not as a great King but as one of God’s creations, as though he, the mighty King were just a tiny speck in God’s hands. This Psalm reassures us that God knows every little detail of our lives; He knows our thoughts, our actions and our whereabouts, and He never leaves us. King David joyfully expresses that he will praise God because he is assured and certain that he was marvelously created with a sense of awe, beauty, greatness and worth!

What if King David had spent his time thinking more about how other people saw him than how God sees him? What if he had begun to compare himself with other Kings, friends or family members? Surely King David would have never seen himself as anything precious and wonderful. He would have been miserable and probably would have been angry at God for making him with some kind of fault. Like some of us, King David would have questioned the size of his nose or the shape of his eyes. He would probably have even started to question if he was as good a king as some of the other kings around. All it takes is one small act of comparison for us to start to feel inadequate in other areas of our lives. Before you know it, you begin to feel insecure, worthless and miserable. We do it all the time— We say things like: “I wish I had her hair.”  or “I wish I could play football like him.” The truth is: If we continue to look at other people as the standard of perfection, we will never ever be satisfied with how we look. 

What if King David had spent his time thinking more about how other people saw him than how God sees him?

King David chose instead to focus on God and that made all the difference. In God’s eyes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. It is time for you to change the way you think about yourself. Remember that God made the whole creation said it was good, but It was after he made man that God said “very good”. Begin to love and appreciate yourself just the way God made you and find peace in knowing that like King David, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Prayer: Lord, please help me to love and accept myself as you have made me, and help me to find peace in knowing that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Action Time: Before you go to bed tonight, think about 1 positive quality/attribute that God, in all His wisdom, made you with and whisper thank you to Him.

January 4, 2026.

Day 2
Cleaning up the Temple!

1 Corinthians 6:19

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (KJV)

In India there is a temple called the Karni Mata temple which has been dedicated to over 25,000 black rats. These rats are worshipped in the temple. It is known as the temple of rats! In Indonesia, there was even a temple dedicated to tigers. Naturally, it was called the temple of tigers. This may sound strange to us, because we cannot fathom that there would be much need for anyone to dedicate a whole building to creatures such as rats or even tigers, no matter how majestic they are! They are simply animals.

In the Bible, in the olden days, King Solomon built a temple. He dedicated it to the Lord, and after much sacrificing, God accepted it as His abiding place. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost which is of God, and we are not our own. In other words, we are bought with a price so we do not even belong to ourselves! We belong to God. Jesus Christ became the sacrifice on the cross so that our bodies could become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I have good news! We are not just a pile of flesh and bones. Our human bodies are valuable in God’s eyes. It is a vessel through which He can operate in this world, and He wants to live inside our bodies. God does not just want to dwell in the church building! He wants to be in our physical temples which are our bodies. Since this is so, shouldn’t this change the way we treat our bodies, think about our bodies or even use our bodies, because now we know that the God of the universe is interested in— not just our spirit— but our bodies! Jesus is interested in you and me!

Whose temple are you? Afterall, every temple must take on the name of who or what it is dedicated to. It is so good to know that you and I are more than just hands and feet and are so much more than just flesh and bones! Our bodies were made to be temples of God. This was a part of the plan when Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for us. You and I do not need to live purposeless lives because now we know that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost and He is interested in living inside of us.

Whose temple are you? Afterall, every temple must take on the name of who or what it is dedicated to.

Prayer: Lord, Your Word tells me that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me. Help me to keep the temple clean so that Your Holy Spirit will always want to stay. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Action Time: Before you go to bed tonight, imagine that your heart is the area of the temple where God lives, identify all the things that you need Him to help you clean out. Make some time to tell Him about them and ask Him to help you remove them. He will, if you let Him.

January 5, 2026.

Day 3

Flightless but Not Worthless! Remember the Ostrich!

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. (KJV)– 2 Corinthians 12:9a.

Here are three (3) interesting facts about the ostrich:

1. Ostriches are the fast runners of any birds or other two-legged animal and can sprint at over 70 km/hr, covering up to 5m in a single stride.
2.  When threatened ostriches run although their powerful, long legs can be formidable weapons, capable of killing a human or a potential predator like a lion with a forward kick.
3. Ostriches’ running is aided by having just two toes on each foot (most birds have four), with the large nail on the larger, inner toe resembling a hoof.

Can you believe that? Yet with all of this, Job 39:13-18 tells us that the ostrich is not very bright. In fact, this bird with impressive feathers cannot even fly and does not do a very good job as a mother. But God, in His wisdom, has endowed her with one outstanding quality that aids her survival. The ostrich can outrun a horse… God says: “But when she runs Oh how she runs…leaving the horse and the rider in the dust!” (Message)

It is not the quality of the bird that God admires in the passage, not feathers nor flight; rather, it is the quality that He gave the ostrich that makes it impressive, and that is its ability to run. The weakness of the ostrich is not what God highlights; He praises the ostrich for its impressive running ability. Let this be a lesson to you that God has equipped you with certain abilities, and he is impressed when you use them. God is not impressed by people’s expectations of you; He is impressed by your use of what He has invested in you. To many, the ostrich may be a stupid, flightless bird, but to God, the ostrich is a beautiful, powerful, swift bird. Not all birds can fly. This one can run, and God made it so! What about you? Is there an area in your life that seems to be lacking, because of people’s judgments and expectations? Are you like the ostrich in a certain group but not really fitting in because of an outstanding difference? Today God wants you to know that He is well aware of your differences and even your talents. He expects you to use this outstanding quality to shine.

To many, the ostrich may be a stupid, flightless bird, but to God, the ostrich is a beautiful, powerful, swift bird. Not all birds can fly. This one can run, and God made it so!

Albert Einstein once said: “Everybody is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” We do not all fit into the same box. We have special abilities given to us by God that we should use to His glory. To some people, you may have many areas of weakness, but to God His strength will fill the gap, God never wants us to worry about the areas of our weakness; He wants us to trust Him. He simply expects you to use your outstanding quality to bring Him glory. Remember the ostrich. She may be flightless, but she is definitely not useless!

Prayer: Lord, you have made me and fashioned me. Help me to use the talents and gifts that you have given me to Your glory. I trust you with my weaknesses. Let me not struggle to fit in, but let me stand out in the ways and the things that please you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Action Time: During camp this week, do something special for God by using your talents of doing a special act of kindness for someone. You can even give God your time by volunteering to help out. 

January 6

Day 4

The Powerful Old Dusty Scrolls

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. (KJV)–

2 Chronicles 34: 19

Israel had been on the decline for years after King David’s reign. There were very few good kings after David— only a handful of them. The people had been repeatedly mislead and had fallen into idolatry. After the 55-year reign of King Manasseh, we finally meet King Josiah who “did right in the sight of the Lord.” He was a good king. He started ruling in the nation of Israel when he was only 8 years old! One day, King Josiah had a life changing experience one of the temple priests found the Book of the Law of the Lord which had been given to Moses in the temple, and one of the scribes brought it and read it to the king. After hearing the Law of the Lord that was read to him, the king tore his clothes in anguish! King Josiah was shocked that the people had been disobeying God’s Laws for so many years and had fallen into sin.

This was the king’s reaction to the Word of God. It shows us the effect that the words had on him. Not only was he dismayed, but he followed through with actions. The words from these old dusty scrolls were powerful enough to bring a king to his knees in repentance. He was transformed, and he renewed His mind so that he and his nation could do the acceptable and pleasing thing before God.

How about you and me? What is your reaction to hearing the word of God? Do you believe it? Do you respect it? Sometimes we fall asleep when others are teaching or preaching the Word,  Some of us do not even read the Bible. The truth is, if we have no regard for God, we really will not care what He has to say. If you respect God, you will respect and obey His Word. What King Josiah showed us was true repentance. Not only did he tear his clothes, but he also followed through with actions by obeying the instructions that were read to Him in God’s Word. Repentance is more that weeping and rolling at the altar, it is a change of mind and a turning away from sin. It requires that we stop doing the things that displease God and start doing the things that please Him. King Josiah did this and was able to turn the nation of Israel back to God.

The truth is, if we have no regard for God, we really will not care what He has to say.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for all the times when I have not paid attention to Your Word. I pray that you will help me to respond to the truth of Your word. Help me to apply it to my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Action Time: Stay awake and listen to every word spoken in the next sermon you hear and the next time you read your Bible. Think about the words carefully. How do they apply to your life? Prayerfully journal your thoughts.

January 7

Day 5

Picking the Right Fruits

Galatians 5: 22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

Right now, if you go to any guinep tree, mango tree or apple tree, you are almost certain to find some of these delicious fruits to enjoy! People everywhere use all kinds of methods to pick the juiciest of these fruits from their place high up in the treetops. If you go into any orchard to gather fruits, chances are you test the fruit before you pick it. You might even smell it, look at the skin and check to see if any insects have bitten it or if there are worms inside, then we take them home and enjoy them, because that is why we picked them! The Bible also talks about fruits. They are referred to as the fruits of the Spirit. These are the qualities that the Spirit of God produces in us when we let Him in.

God wants us to pick the right fruit. He wants us to enjoy the life that He has given us, and by His Spirit within us, we can bear spiritual fruit. As we grow, we begin to change. Our attitude to God and to those around us and even challenging circumstances will be much better.  We should aim to grow spiritual fruit. The writer of Galatians, the Apostle Paul, tells us about some other kinds of fruits which we are not to grow. These are the “wormy”, insect-bitten, rotten fruits that make us sick! He mentions fruits like hatred, fornication, drunkenness, envying, murders and so on. Nobody should pick these fruits. They should be thrown into the garbage.

What kinds of fruits have been growing in the orchard of your heart? Can you honestly say that you have been growing the fruit of the Spirit? Have you been picking the right fruits? If not, it is not too late. The Holy Spirit wants to do a new thing in your heart right now so that you can begin growing and picking the right fruit right away. The next time that someone in your house or at work shouts at you or someone cuts into your lane on the highway, instead of picking the bad fruit of anger for a response, the Holy Spirit will help you to respond with gentleness. The next time another colleague gains a promotion, instead of responding with strife, malice and bitterness, you can choose to respond with joy! You can be happy when someone else wins. God wants to help you to pick the right fruit so that you do not live a rotten life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you have taught me about the fruit of the Spirit. I pray that you will help me to grow the fruits and pick them at the right times. Help me to do what is pleasing to you and, by Your Holy Spirit, I pray that you will get the bad fruits out of me. Thank you for changing my heart. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Action Time: 1. Recite today’s key verse!

2. Be on the lookout tomorrow to see if there is any situation in which you can pick (use/apply/respond by using) the fruit of the Spirit as your response to a troubling situation. Instead of getting angry or telling a lie to impress someone so they will think highly of you, how about choosing to please God by responding with patience and truth? Try it.  

January 8, 2026.

Day 6

The Heart is God’s Standard

1 Samuel 16: 7

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (KJV)

If God were to judge us by looks, life would be unfair! The truth is, our human standards are nothing when compared to God’s. We are limited, but God is unlimited. We are finite, but God is infinite. Our knowledge has a limit but God sees and knows all things, and the Bible tells us that Man (humans) look at the outward appearance of a person and makes his judgment from that point-of-view, but God has a different standard. He looks at the heart. We focus on the external qualities, but God focuses on the internal qualities. Which do you think is better?

The heart is important. The Bible teaches that we live our lives based on the condition of our hearts. This is what helps us to make decisions. When the Bible speaks of “the heart”, it is not speaking about an organ. Rather, “the heart” refers to the thoughts and meditations of the mind. I like to imagine that God has X-ray vision like some superheroes I have seen. He can look at you and me and see what is going on inside us on a very deep level. We, however, just focus on how people look, dress, speak and smile. For God, that is not as important.

Since God has all this knowledge then, wouldn’t you say it is best to trust Him more than yourself when it comes on to choosing the people to hang out with? After all, can you really tell what is going on inside their heart? So many people make bad decisions about relationships, friendships, marriage and business because they got tangled up with somebody who looked really good on the outside, but their heart was not in the right condition. The prophet Samuel was about to make this same decision by looking at David’s handsome brothers, but God had seen their hearts, and they had not met the standard, so He chose David to be king instead. David turned out the be the best king of Israel, a mighty warrior and as God calls him, “a man after God’s own heart”. Choosing people just by outward appearances can destroy your life!

What about us? If God were to turn His x-ray vision on you right now and looked at the condition of your heart, what would He find? What condition is it in? Is it clean, pure, full of good, hopeful, joyful thoughts? Do you think He would recommend you as a friend to somebody else as your heart is right now? If not, do not worry. God is not ashamed of you! He loves you and wants to help you get your heart in the right condition. Pray and ask God to heal your heart and to clean it of all the things that have corrupted it and to make your heart pleasing before Him. He wants to be the centre of your heart.

Prayer: Lord, if I trust my own self, I might choose the wrong friends and get into the wrong company. I pray that you will help me in this area and Lord please change my own heart that it will be acceptable in your sight, in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Action Time: Make a drawing of a heart. At the centre of your heart, write down the most important thing/person in your life. Around that, write down all the other things and people you love. Finally, write Jesus on your paper. Where have you put Him? What will it take to get Him to the centre of your heart or to keep Him there.

January 9, 2026.

Day 7

There is a New Creature in Town!

2 Corinthians 5: 17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. (KJV)

Some years ago, I went to watch Avengers: Infinity Wars. It was amazing! I loved to see the different superheroes in their costumes activating their super powers to defeat the wicked, big purple guy with the infinity stones. And then when Black Panther came on the scene and he had to defeat….um…okay, let’s get back on track. Yes, it was nice and very interesting, but it was also sad, because in this episode, nobody was powerful enough to beat this evil monster this time around, not even Thor the god of thunder could beat him with the new axe. It turned out that the heroes of today themselves needed someone to save them.

Well, it turns out that we do have someone who can save us, and He is much more powerful and real than any of the superheroes we have seen on television. They cannot even compare to His strength and power. His name is Jesus, and the great thing is, He wants us all to be as great as he is. He wants to give us the power to beat every kind of evil that threatens to take over our lives, our families and our world…and we do not need an axe to do it. All we need is his Holy Spirit which we receive by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. He can transform your entire life when you receive Him.

Yes, you will be changed, and as a result, you will want to live a much different life as you seek to please God and accomplish great and mighty things by His power at work in you. Do you know a family in need of change? Do you know anybody who needs help or encouragement? Is there a place you can think of where God’s presence is much needed? Well, guess what, God wants you to be the change, but you can only be the change when you allow Him to make you into a new creature. He will let you put aside that old garment and be transformed into the person He wants you to be— powerful, strong, effective and equipped to turn this world right side up for Jesus. You will be able to resist the devil and defeat all your adversaries by the power of Jesus Christ. God is waiting on you to say YES! What will be your superhero name? I think it should be “NEW CREATURE”! Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

Prayer: Lord, I want to be who you want me to be and do what you want me to do. I pray that you will transform me by the power of your Holy Spirit so that I can be a new creature, changed and renewed by Jesus Christ. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Action Time: Make a list of all the things you would change in your life, family, home, community and country right now if you knew you would not fail. Pray to God about each one of them and ask Him to empower you to make the changes. This is your PRAYER LIST.