Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

The importance of impressive recommendations can't be overemphasized. These endorsements often pave the way for good opportunities. But a written word alone is not always an accurate indicator. There must be something tangible to prove that the words are true. This is the time of year when high school seniors start finalizing college plans. In our house there has been a flurry of filling out scholarship applications, writing personal essays, & collecting recommendations from teachers, employers, coaches, & friends. All of this paperwork is neatly packaged and sent away to impress scholarship committees into awarding funds that can be put toward college tuition.

Have you ever noticed how superheroes are all the rage? All through time we have created great and powerful men and women who have stepped into desperate situations to save the day. We love to read about them, write about them, watch movies about them, and dress up like them. From Superman, to Batman, to Spiderman, to Wonder Woman, we yearn to see them outwit or overpower the enemy.

There is no end to the things you can learn when you listen carefully. How often do we hear words spoken but will not allow them to register in our brain. This is usually because we are preoccupied with our own thoughts and feelings instead of focusing on the one who is speaking. When we make the effort to truly listen good things can result.

Every once in a while you run across a person who is a true inspiration. You know, the kind of individual who makes you want to be a better person . . . who causes you to dream more . . . who inspires you to love more . . . who challenges you to give more . . . who motivates you to serve more. I have come across a person like this recently.

Love is something that is misunderstood in our day and age. People carelessly throw the word around with comments like, “I love pizza!” or “I love to ice skate!” When it comes to relationships, we often think of love as a mushy feeling or sweet sentiment, but most often there is nothing to back up the feeling. Though most people can perform a loving act at one time or another, true love is much more than that. To understand what real love is we need to look at how God treats us. When God created the world He saw that it was good. But sin came in and corrupted what had once been perfect. Because God loved us He did the only thing that could be done to save us from certain death. He did not spare His only Son, but sent Him to die in our place so that we could live. The love of God was a sacrificial love - He gave up something precious so that we could have life.

Everyone wants to feel protected and safe. Even those who consider themselves “macho” cherish a place of safety and comfort. These blessings are some of the benefits received from  a good father. Throughout my life I have always felt safe and cared for. In my younger years most of that was due to the fact that I was blessed with a good and loving father. From the time I was born my dad cared for me, protected me, and loved me. I have many fond memories of long bicycle trips where I would sit perched on a seat in front of my dad. I didn’t have to try to keep up. I just had to sit back and enjoy the view.