Cookie Thieves

She bought a magazine and a small pack of cookies and sat at a crowded airport lunch counter. 

To her disbelief, the man next to her opened her package of cookies and ate one!

Indignant, she shoved the remaining cookies into her purse, got up, and left. 

When she looked back, she couldn't believe the man was actually smiling!

Thirty minutes later when her plane took off, she reached into her purse for the cookies, proud of how restrained she'd been with the cookie thief. 

But instead of one package of cookies, she found two identical packages, one opened and one unopened. 

To her horror she realized she'd just stolen cookies from the smiling man at the counter. He was the one who'd shown incredible restraint, not her. 

This story illustrates a good point: Jumping to conclusions is foolish. We need to get our facts straight before judging ourselves or others.

Many relationship problems stem from misunderstandings and hasty conclusions.

“The one who gives an answer before he listens-- this is foolishness and disgrace for him.” Proverbs 18:13

“The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.”  Proverbs 18:17

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For more on this subject, see: Don't Bother Me With the Facts and Clouded Mirrors and Wrong Conclusions.

You can find this story with various differences in numerous articles and videos. I heard it years ago and first wrote about it in 2015. I'm not sure of the source or whether it actually happened, but it's a great illustration for our need to be careful about judging people or situations. This is especially true now that AI is so widely used. I've read news stories or watched a YouTube video that I thought was real, only to find out it was fake news. And the same is true about gossip and misunderstandings in relationships. If we aren't sure of our facts, we can be guilty of slander.

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Don't Underestimate God's Word!!

We often talk about the importance of Scripture, but do we really understand the power God’s Word has in our lives?

God’s Word is not like human words.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

In Isaiah 55:10-11, the Lord explains that just like rain waters the earth and seeds produce plants, His Word achieves His purposes.

Feeling low? Nothing can change your heart and mind like God’s Word with passages like John 14:27:
 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” ~ Jesus 

Seeking direction? God’s Word is filled with principles for making wise choices.
 

“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. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6
 

If you haven’t read about the 3x5 card method that has helped me, please check it out. It can help you, no matter what is troubling you.
 

Don’t take God’s Word for granted. If you aren’t reading it daily, and memorizing and reciting it throughout the day, you are like a starving man who refuses a delicious meal sitting right in front of him.

 

 

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3 Unique Ways God Rescued His People

In Psalm 73, the psalmist Asaph talks about his discouragement when bad people are rewarded and when good people have troubles, feel confused, and even doubt God's plans and purposes. 

I've felt this way myself at times, and it makes me think of some Old Testament examples when God rescued his people in very unusual ways: 

1. Jericho Rescue - Sometimes God breaks down our enemy's “support walls” and gives us victory while protecting a handful of people in a most unusual way.  Proverbs. 3:5-6

2. Big Fish Rescue - Sometimes God rescues us from our selfish plans. Jonah 1

3. Red Sea Rescue - Sometimes we only see options A and B, when God has a plan C. Psalm 77:19

(Each of these rescues is linked to an insightful one-minute devotion.)

In Psalm 73, Asaph refused to stay discouraged. He “turned the corner” by reminding himself of God's past faithfulness. Perhaps these examples were some he remembered.

When we're feeling confused and discouraged, we can consider ways God has rescued us or our loved ones in the past. We can remember ways it strengthened our faith. God's goal is to strengthen our faith, and He can do it in easy, difficult, obvious, or mysterious ways.

Asaph put it this way:

“You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” Psalm 73:24

Jesus put it this way: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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If you would like to do a short Bible study on this devotion and take a closer look at the three ways God rescues His people, check out today's Bite Size Bible Study. 

 

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How Music Affects Your Spiritual Health

According to research, music is “deeply personal, and it can reveal something about our very identities.… It's part of our identity—how we define ourselves and how we identify friends.” (source) 

Music strongly influences society and human behavior. “Songs have the power to change the world in unexpected ways, challenging preconceived notions.” (source) 

Music is God’s creation, and Scripture is filled with wonderful purposes for it. 

🎵 “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-19

🎵 “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1

🎵 “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 104:33

Studies show that music has healing power, helping people recover from both physical and emotional problems. (source)

But Satan also uses music in powerful ways to deceive people and draw them away from God. Because I wasn’t saved until I was twenty-four, I admit that I listened to music indiscriminately. And I’ve learned to be careful, not only about the words, but also the attitudes and beliefs of the recording artist. 

Music can be used for good or evil. Let’s make sure we are filling our minds with that which is healthy for our spirits. 

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Part of discernment is understanding that the beliefs and character of musicians matter. They affect us in positive and negative ways. For some warnings, see:  

🎜 Steven Furtick's Metallica Obsession 

🎜 The Chosen & Jars of Clay: Mocking God  

🎜 Trendy Apostasy: Marty Sampson  

🎜 Amy Grant Explains the Ex-vangelical Definition of Love 

 

If you want to know if the rock music you listen to is healthy, please check out Good Fight Ministries. Their research offers helpful insights and warnings. My husband and I got rid of some of the “oldies” we used to listen to after finding out the spirit behind them.

 
 

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God's Creation Is Delicious and Nutritious — Part 5

I pray these three devotions will give you a deeper understanding of the delicious and nutritious aspects God has built into His creation. These are but a tiny glimpse of this aspect of God's healthy environment. What other examples can you think of?

 

Peeling Back the Blessings in Life—They're Everywhere! 

The humble banana is one of millions of little blessings God has scattered in our lives. This one-minute devotion offers some interesting insights.

Sweet Lemons
Did you know that the lemon reveals some wonderful truths about God's creation and His ability to use something sour for our good? 

 

Find Out if a 2000-year-old Seed Can Produce Fruit

This one-minute devotion shares a true story of some 2000-year-old palm seeds and a true story of faithfulness. 

 

Don't miss:

God's Creation is Fun! Part 1

It offers fun insights about our Lord's creation of fireflies, bugs, and dogs!  

God's Creation is Interesting! Part 2

It offers interesting insights into our Lord's creation of ants, sharks, lions, and the color green!

God's Creation Brings Us Joy! Part 3

It discusses the joy of 14-ers and ladybugs, and offers suggestions for enjoying God's creation. 

God's Creation is Loving -- Part 4

Consider the way the Killdeer bird reflects God's love and the way creation brings us health and well-being. 

If you enjoyed these devotions and you'd like to get a one-minute devotion delivered to your email each weekday, check out our free subscriptions. If you already have one, tell your friends and send them this link: Stay Connected. 

 

 

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Unbelief With a Christian Mask

These examples resemble many true situations I've heard about:

 

✔ Christian friends in her church encouraged her and paid her rent when she lost her job and rejoiced when she found meaningful employment. But when they expressed concern over her promotion of the killing of the unborn, she bitterly cut them off. 

✔ The pastor spoke passionately about his love for Christ but held a grudge against his Christian parents, refusing their repeated attempts to reconcile.

 

✔ She faithfully attended church and Bible studies, but she held worldly views about most issues. And she enjoyed telling an occasional lie to make her Bible-believing friends look bad.

 

As culture declines, more and more professing Christians are revealing an “outward form of godliness” that denies the power of God's loving commands (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  

 

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:21

 

It's heartbreaking when we previously enjoyed fellowship with someone who reveals their unbelieving heart:

 

“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it.… But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God.” Psalm 55:12-14 

 

If you've faced situations like these, draw closer to the Lord and “hold unswervingly to the hope [you] profess” (Hebrews 10:23), remembering that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).  

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These examples follow what is commonly called situational ethics. See From VeggieTales to Situational Ethics. 

For more insights, see the Bite Size Bible Study, Deception Beneath a Mask, that discusses some of the specific sins that influence these people who have an outward form of godliness. 

Click the image to find out about a book that can help you recognize false teachings. 

 

 

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Are You Feeding Your Soul?

When kids eat snacks all day, they usually don't have room for dinner.

This is a good analogy for our spiritual diet.

We must not let television, sports, and other types of entertainment crowd out Bible study, prayer time, and Christian fellowship. 

We should make sure we're getting a nutritious serving from God's Word before we start on dessert. Otherwise, our souls will become malnourished, and we'll be unable to make wise decisions or deal biblically with life's challenges. 

And we should avoid “junk food” altogether—those things that waste our time or cause us to compromise our values!

The prophet Jeremiah struggled with difficult tasks, and he fully understood the importance of God's Word in his daily diet:

"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” Jeremiah 15:16  

Our souls prosper and our spiritual and emotional needs are met when we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

We need God's Word more than we need our daily bread (Matthew 4:4), so let's “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).

For more inspiration, see The Gospel Is Not a Buffet and How to Avoid Spiritual Spam.  

 

Free Subscription to 1-Minute Bible Love Notes. Have a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday. 

10 Reasons You'll Love the Book Wisdom for Life. A collection of 100 one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and a great gift for people who love God's Word.

Full Description of the Book Lies in Disguise. A much-needed book to uncover half-truths that misuse Scripture and weaken Christian faith.

 

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Discerning or Deceived: Your Choice

The popularity of false teachers is growing, and I've noticed that when Christians try to warn others, they're often met with these two objections: 

1. The teacher is doing so much good that the errors are not significant.

Scripture refutes this claim: “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.” Luke 16:10

Mishandling God's Word is never insignificant, especially for a Bible teacher (James 3:1).

2. It's not our place to judge these teachers.

Scripture refutes this claim as well: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11

“Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

We are called to examine the words, lifestyle, values, attitudes, and discernment of those who teach us. And we are called to expose error and warn people of false teachers.

Those who listen to false teachers lose their discernment. Satan blinds them, and they become increasingly defensive when their favorite false teachers are exposed (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”  Matthew 7:15-17

See also 1 Timothy 6:3-5 and Colossians 2:8. 

Please be aware of the dark side of one of the most popular pastors in America: Steven Furtick's Metallica Obsession.

For more insights, see How False Teachers Help Us and 3 Characteristics of False Teachers.

 

 

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4 Reasons to Avoid People-Pleasing

It's important that Christians understand that we can't please both God and man. So let's remember these four biblical truths:

✔ It's never right to remain silent about our Christian values for fear of offending people 

✔ It's never right to soften biblical truths to make them sound attractive to the world.

✔ We'll never make Christianity popular with the majority (Matthew 7:13-14).

✔ Persecution is part of living for the Lord.

Ephesians 5:5-10 warns us not to be deceived by empty human values because we “were once darkness, but now [we] are light in the Lord.” Therefore, we must “live as children of light … and find out what pleases the Lord.”

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25

When someone doesn't like us because of our Christian beliefs, that's proof that we're living for the Lord.

“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ” 2 Timothy 3:12 

It's appropriate to care about other people's feelings, to be kind and gracious. But our first priority must always be to please God, not men.

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For more inspiration to serve the Lord faithfully, see He Sent Us Out Like Sheep Among Wolves and Blessed Are You When People Insult You.

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When It Comes to God's Word, Get It Write!

I’ve started a practice of handwriting a portion of Scripture each morning. It helps me consider each word more carefully than when I type or read it. I’m finding that I often see new things in a passage that I’ve read a hundred times before, and I’m studying things I previously overlooked. 

“In an era dominated by digital technology, it can often feel like handwriting is becoming a lost art. However, a growing body of research suggests that the act of writing by hand has significant cognitive benefits, particularly for memory and learning.” (source)

At age 75, I definitely like the idea of doing something that helps my memory, but when it comes to God’s Word, these benefits are important at every age. My husband doesn’t like handwriting, but the good news is that hand printing has the same benefits. 

Another way to better retain what we read in Scripture is creative Bible journaling. This involves keeping a journal where you draw things that help you remember the passage. Not everyone will enjoy this, but if you have a creative side, give it a try. See Creative Bible Study.

Let’s never forget the importance of God’s Word in our lives (2 Timothy 3:16). If it’s not part of our daily schedule, we’ll be spiritually malnourished (Matthew 4:4).

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12  

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See Pen, Paper, Prayer & Learning Style and Ephesians 3:17 -- Rooted in Love for more encouragement in your Bible study. 

And if you're looking for a way to be even more creative, check out these ideas for making journals from composition books: 3 Inexpensive Journals.  

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