ignorant arguments

Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.

- 2 Timothy 2:23-25 (NLT)

 

Last week was rough.
Those who have been reading my daily thoughts for a while know that sometimes I use this as an outlet to be raw and vulnerable.
This is one of those times. 
I am a little bit of a control freak, so when things spin out of control, I tend to get a bit anxious.
The anxiety turns to anger, and often the anger tuns to tears. 
I often feel like I am a horrible human because I spend so much time preaching the Gospel, and yet I have so much anger and hate in my heart I just want to quit everything.
Everything. 

I let people down.
I don’t follow up on my commitments. 

I feel like I let this anger and hate consume me and suddenly nothing good comes from me.

My words to everyone are sharp and hateful.
Don’t get involved in foolish ignorant arguments that only start fights.
There are days when I think that is all I do, fight with everyone.  

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people

Be kind to difficult people?
Even when they belittle you and make you look and feel dumb? 

We are still called to be kind.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.

Truth is the key to freedom, truth breaks chains and tears down walls.
I am a little less angry today, but I am still working on the kind, patient, and gentle part.

It might take a while for God to change my heart, but at least I know He is working on me.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

beautiful feet

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

- Isaiah 52:7 (NKJV)

 

There are a lot of sayings about feet.
Get your foot in the door or get off on the wrong foot. 
Stand on your own two feet or get back on your feet. 
Thinking on your feet and sometimes getting cold feet or dragging your feet. 
You can even have the world at your feet. 
In some cultures, the foot represents life-spending fertility. 

The foot is also a symbol of respect, reverence, and subservience, so much so that feet washing and anointing is an act of humility and love.

Your feet can take you a lot of places, but the best places your feet take you are where you share God’s word.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

chosen people

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.

- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

 

I hear the word “entitled” thrown around a lot recently and to be honest, I see it a lot.

Who is entitled?
Entitled people believe that they deserve privileges or recognition for things they did not earn.

They truly believe that the world owes them something.

Admit it, you see it too.
People demanding special treatment or expecting others to do things for them. 
The ones that show no gratitude yet feel the need for constant admiration. 

These are the people that come across as being full of themselves, believing that every situation should benefit them.
This verse seems to encourage us to be entitled but in truth it is the exact opposite.
We are chosen by God, for God and to teach others about God. 

We are not to treat others as if they are beneath us, because once we were nothing.

Then we received mercy from God, and now it is up to us to show others what it is like to live in the light.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

it’s ok to sleep

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

- Psalm 3:5 (NKJV)

 

Imagine finding yourself in the midst of danger, surrounded by enemies, people who want to hurt you.

A lot of people that want to not just hurt you but kill you.
If faced with that situation, would you be able to lie down and take a nap? 

King David did.
In the middle of fleeing from his son who wanted him dead, King David laid down and slept.
He knew that his Lord would protect Him even as his enemies surrounded him. 
When he woke up, he was refreshed, rejuvenated because his Lord protected him. 

Faith like that can only come from knowing God as your Father, having a relationship with Him.

Trusting God with your very life only happens when you are willing to give yourself to Him fully.
We can sleep, God will sustain us. 

Trust Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

a robber

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

- John 11:43-44 (NLT)

Jesus was called a lot of things when He was preaching.
Jesus is still called a lot of things. 
Have you heard that Jesus was a grave robber? 
He was indeed! 
You see, Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived at Bethany. 
But Jesus knew that Lazarus would not remain dead, and He knew that God would receive glory for the miracle that was about to take place.
Can you imagine what it would be like to hear the Son of God call your name and bring you back to life?
The band Crowder released a song called Grave Robber in 2023, the lyrics go like this:
I used to live like a rebel, didn't wanna behave

Thought a wretch like me couldn't ever be saved

But everything changed, I remember the day

When I heard Him calling my name

Like a thief in the night

He snuck in, took my life

I was dead, now I'm alive and singing

I got stolen by the grave robber

Picked me up from that rock bottom

Washed my soul in that Holy water

Brought me back to life (brought me back to life)

One more stone rolled away

One more sinner been saved by grace

This dead man, he ain't dead no longer

All because of that grave robber (grave robber, grave robber, yeah)

Maybe you're the one thinking that you'll never be right

Even though your mama praying for you every night

Praying Jesus gonna find you and open your eyes

Well, maybe right now's that time

Like a thief in the night

He'll sneak in, take your life

That resurrection gonna have you singing

I got stolen by the grave robber

Picked me up from that rock bottom

Washed my soul in that Holy water

Brought me back to life (brought me back to life)

One more stone rolled away

One more sinner been saved by grace

This dead man, he ain't dead no longer

All because of that grave robber (yeah)

Taking my sin, taking my shame

Breaking my soul out of these chains

I'm a dead man living and God did it

Taking my sin, taking my shame

Breaking my soul out of these chains

I've been forgiven and God did it

. . .

Jesus is the rock, and he rolls my grave away (all because of that grave robber)

Jesus is the rock and he-

All because of that grave robber
We all think that we have done too much, that we can never be forgiven. 
There is nothing further from the truth. 
If Jesus can raise a man from the dead, He can forgive your ugliest sin. 
He can break the chains, take the shame, bring you back to life too. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

understanding

The Holy Writings say, “No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.” God has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us.

- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NLV)

 

I have been asked how it is that I am confident in the Bible.
Honestly, it is not a matter of confidence in the Bible, but instead it is faith in God.

How we understand things about God is to not look through our own human eyes, but through His Spirit.

Paul tells us that we can’t understand the things of God unless they are revealed to us by the Spirit.
To make this happen, we must desire to know the Lord and to grow in Him. 
Salvation happens because the Spirit is at work in our hearts, not because we are good enough.
Not because we have done something to deserve Him. 
Because God has mercy on us, and He reaches out to us. 
We respond by accepting His word and by humbly walking with Him to know Him better.
Once we have that understanding, we can grow deeper in our relationship with Him.
Once our relationship is deeper, we will have the confidence in what His word says.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

where?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

- Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

 

Usually when we read this verse we focus on the “be strong and courageous” part, but today, I’d like to focus on the second part of the verse, the “God is with you” part.

I often hear people ask “where’s God” when horrible things happen.
Where was God during the tragedies that have happened, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the horrific events of 9/11/2001, the disastrous effects of hurricane Katrine in 2005, the devastation of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami?  
Where was God when children were being hurt by adults, when loved ones were dying from awful diseases?

Where was God when people we care about took their own lives because they just couldn’t carry on?

In 2023 The Afters released their song “God is with us” which in their own words “addresses a hard question that most people ask at some point in their lives. Putting words to the moments when you can’t see, feel, or fully understand God comes not only from the band's personal stories, but from the hope that can be found in God’s promise, that He will never leave us. ‘Through all the years that we've toured as a band, we've heard people share their stories of brokenness and loss, and one question that we've heard again and again is, ‘Where is God in this story?’ I believe that God isn't afraid of our questions. Our loss, our hurt, the hard things we go through ... those things are precious to God. And He has promised to be with us in every single moment of our life. He's not going to leave us, He will never forsake us, and that's where we can find the hope we need during our hardest times.’” 

The lyrics are:
Where is God in the heartache

Where is God in the fear

Where is God when it hurts so bad

That you can't hold back the tears

Where is God in the sickness

That the prayers didn't fix

When it don't make sense

Where is God in all of this

He is right here where He's always been

He never left and He never will

Where is God

God is with us

He is right here where He's always been

It's where He'll be until the very end

Where is God

God is with us

Where is God in the ashes

Of a broken home

Where is God when we lose

The ones we love the most

Where is God in addiction

When you lost the battle again

When it's all too much

Where is God in all of this

...

We might never know the answers

We might never know the outcome

But we know Jesus

We know Jesus

Even when we face the darkness

We know better days are coming

Cause we know Jesus

We know Jesus

And He is right here where He's always been

He never left and He never will

Where is God

God is with us

He is right here where He's always been

It's where He'll be until the very end

Where is God

God is with us

So where is God

...

It’s no surprise if this song hits a spot with us, it is supposed to do that.
It’s a reminder that God is with us, even when we don’t see Him there, He is, and He always will be.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible