Daily Devotionals for Spiritual Inspiration and Guidance

“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). Words are powerful, and we can create problems for ourselves simply by what we say. To stay out of trouble, it’s wise to think first before we open our mouths.

“The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly” (Proverbs 15:2, AMPC). Our words can betray us if we speak carelessly. What’s in our hearts and minds comes out in what we say; therefore, our speech often reveals whether we place our confidence in ourselves, or in God.

“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2, NKJV). Pride interferes with our relationship with God and leaves us open to shame. Agreeing with what He says in His Word and the promises He makes to us is true humility in action, and it displays godly wisdom.

“O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause... O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee” (Psalm 25:2, 3, 20). The devil tries to use shame against us to hold us back from fulfilling God’s mission. Although those who disobey the Word can fall prey to shame’s destructive forces, our trust in God defeats this spiritual weapon.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Earthly laws are made to protect us, but another set of laws operate on the spiritual level. These laws affect our salvation, and it’s important for us to understand them. Jesus shed His blood to establish the Gospel of Grace and give us eternal life.

“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man” (Proverbs 24:30-34). The values we embrace eventually manifest themselves for all to see. If we’re lazy, we reap what we sow. Hard work and honest labor indicate a godly attitude in this area.

“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” (Luke 16:13, NIV). If we put money before everything else in our lives, we can become enslaved to it and end up miserable. God knows that financial wealth can tempt us to trust it instead of Him, so He warns us against having a wrong relationship with it.

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23). There’s a connection between what we think and what we do. When we want to see tangible evidence of true change in our lives, we must renew our thought processes to agree with what the Scriptures tell us.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8, NKJV). We fight a spiritual battle in our minds every day. To win, our strategy must be to deliberately avoid thinking like the rest of the world, which is under the influence of the enemy. Aligning our thoughts with God’s thoughts makes us of one mind with Him.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). The first step to standing out from the world as Christians, and God’s beloved, is to change our way of thinking. We break out of that worldly, tired mindset by studying His Word, which refreshes and renews our minds over time.