Monday, January 27, 2025

Does God Test Us?

This week at school, we had a lot of tests for midterms. While I was answering the questions, a thought came to my mind: Does God test us? Maybe you’ve wondered the same thing. I found a Bible verse that helps answer this question in James 1:13 (NLT): “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, 'God is tempting me.' God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.” This scripture makes it clear: God doesn’t tempt us.

Sometimes when things get tough, like we have a lot of tests at school or nothing is going right for us, we might think, “God is testing me.” We should stop and remember that it’s not true. But if God isn’t the one testing us, who is?

The Bible shows us that the devil is the one who tempts us to do wrong. Looking for ways to make us stumble is what he does. But here’s something important to understand—God allows us to go through these situations because He’s given us free will. That means we have the power to make choices, and sometimes, we don’t make the best ones. When we sin, we give the devil an opening to cause trouble.

The good news is that God never leaves us alone during these tough times. He helps us grow stronger and rely on Him more. As 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) says: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” So, we can be sure that God doesn’t send tests to harm us, but He does allow challenges so we can grow in our faith and trust in Him. Instead of blaming God, we can lean on Him, knowing He is always faithful to help us through. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Does God Test Us?”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Monday, January 20, 2025

The Discipline of Fasting

You might have asked yourself, “How can I get closer to God or hear His voice more clearly?” Well, one way is through prayer: sincerely talking to God from your heart. But there’s another important thing that can help us grow in our faith too: it’s fasting. If you're not sure what fasting is, it’s when you give up something, like food or other comforts, for a certain amount of time to focus on God.

In John 3:30, John the Baptist said something really powerful: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is exactly what we do when we fast; we let the flesh decrease so that Christ can increase within us. The ‘flesh’ refers to the part of us that craves pleasure all the time. When we fast, we put our own desires and the “flesh” under God’s control, allowing Him to become greater in our lives. In Romans 12:1 (NLT), the Apostle Paul puts it this way: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”  When we fast, we're giving up things that we enjoy to show God that we want Him more.

In 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT), Paul gives us a great example of how to control our bodies: “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” Just like an athlete trains to get stronger, fasting helps us train our spiritual lives by saying "no" to things that might distract us from God.

God doesn’t force us to fast, but He loves when we show our commitment to Him through sacrifice. When Jesus died on the cross, he showed us that real love involves sacrifice. And fasting is one way we can show God that we love Him back.

While you're fasting, make time to read the Bible, pray, and focus on growing your relationship with God. Jesus himself fasted for forty days in the wilderness to prepare for his mission, and he is the perfect example for us. In Ezra 8:23 (NLT), it says: “So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.” This reminds us that God hears our prayers when we fast and seek His Will.

Fasting is all about loving God and showing our devotion to Him. It’s an act of faith that brings us closer to Him. So, whether you're struggling with something in your life, need more wisdom, or just want to show God how much you love Him, fasting is a powerful discipline that God has given us to use. And the best part? It not only blesses God, but it also blesses us too. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Discipline of Fasting”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

 

Monday, January 13, 2025

Avoid Laziness

We’ve all had those days when we just want to relax, do nothing, and kick back for a while. But there’s something really important to remember: God doesn’t want us to be lazy. In fact, the Bible tells us that laziness is something He doesn’t like. Proverbs 13:4 (NLT) says,“The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” This means that if we just sit around and do nothing, we’ll get nowhere, but if we stay diligent and work hard, we will be blessed.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks and relax. All of us need rest, and God wants us to have as much rest as we need. But when there’s something important to do, like studying God’s Word, prayer, chores or homework, we should take care of that first. For example, if you’re about to sit down and watch TV, but you notice a sink full of dishes, what should you do? Do the dishes first! After you’ve taken care of what needs to be done, then you can relax and enjoy your free time. It’s the same with anything else, like spending time with God or finishing up a school assignment.

Jesus is our ultimate example. He was always busy helping others and doing what God wanted him to do. He didn’t waste time. Jesus worked hard to carry out his mission, and that’s something we should follow. If we want to be like him, we need to be diligent in the things we do, whether it's helping our parents, our siblings, or our friends.

Remember, if we don’t help others, how can we expect them to help us? Proverbs 3:27 (NLT) says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” That means when you have the chance to help others, don’t wait—do it! Being kind and helping others shows that we’re living out the purpose God has given us.

So, when you know there’s something to do, take care of it with a willing heart, just like Jesus would. Don’t let laziness hold you back from the good things God has planned for you!

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Avoid Laziness”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

 

Monday, January 6, 2025

God Does Not Punish Us

We all go through tough times in life when it feels like nothing is going right for us; problems just keep piling up. During those times, we should remember that God is not punishing us. A lot of people think that He is. They get confused and believe that when things go wrong, God is angry with them, but that’s not the case! The trouble we face often comes from the devil, not from God.

Psalm 103:8-10 (NLT) says, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.” This verse shows us that God is not angry with us and does not punish us. We are His children. He loves us deeply and is filled with compassion.

You might wonder, “If God is not punishing me, then why is He allowing these hard things to happen?”Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) helps us to understand things more. It says: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” This verse tells us that, while we may not understand why bad things happen, God has a bigger plan that will work out for our good in the end.

Sometimes, life can feel difficult, but we must have faith in God. This is the most important thing. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith. He wants us to grow stronger in our faith by learning about Him from His Word. This helps us trust Him more and overcome challenges through His power and strength. The struggles we go through in life—they can help prepare us for bigger blessings ahead, even though we might not see them yet. The important thing to remember is that God’s love for us is unchanging, and He is always working things out for our good.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“God Does Not Punish Us”, written for aheartforchristdevotions@blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!