A Heart for Christ

Monday, February 17, 2025

What Does It Really Mean to Be Saved?

Sometimes people get confused about what it means to be saved or born again through the Lord Jesus Christ. You might hear things like, “You have to get baptized,” or “You have to follow all the rules at church.” Those things are important, but they don’t actually save us. The truth is, there’s only one real way to be saved, and it’s something that God told us in His Word.

In Romans 10:9-10 (NLT), it says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” We can see from this passage that it is all about what you believe in your heart. Jesus has already done everything for us, and all we have to do is trust in Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) tells us, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He wanted us to be His children, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. The great thing about salvation is that it’s not a gift we can earn. God freely gives this gift to us when we truly believe from the deepest part of our hearts that He raised Jesus from the dead. And then, we need to openly say with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord!

So, if you’ve ever wondered if you’re saved or not, remember this simple truth: believing in Jesus and trusting that He’s the way to God is all it takes to become God’s child. It’s not about being perfect, but about having faith in the One who is perfect. God has already offered us the best gift ever through Jesus Christ, which is His love and forgiveness. All we need to do is say, “Yes, I believe! I accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life!”

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.

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Obeying God’s Word

In school and everything else in life, it seems like we have to comply with so many rules. The Bible is filled with God’s promises and wisdom. It also has God’s rules, regulations, and commandments. Some people think that it is tough to obey His Word, especially when it comes to things like not being lazy. A lot of times, we just want to chill or avoid doing what we know we should. But no matter what the task is, we’re called to obey God and follow His Word.
John 14:15 and 21 (NLT) tells us that Jesus Christ said“15 If you love me, obey my commandments. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”These verses are pretty clear. They tell us that when we obey God’s Word, it’s like showing Him how much we love Him. And when we love Him, He shows up in our lives in amazing ways.

So, the bottom line is that no matter what God asks us to do, whether it’s something big or small, it is always worth obeying. This will always open the door to God’s blessings. When we follow His Word, we grow in our relationship with Him and learn more about how awesome He is.

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

Monday, February 3, 2025

Being Thankful

God loves a thankful heart, and He even tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” But sometimes, it’s hard to be thankful, especially when we ask God for something and it doesn’t turn out the way we expected. For example, maybe you don’t feel thankful for the home you have because it’s not as big as you want it to be. But the truth is, you should be really grateful you even have a home because so many people don’t. We can’t get upset just because the things God gives us don’t meet our expectations. God knows what’s best for us, and He’s perfect in every way. He knows exactly what we need, even when we don’t.

Sometimes the reason we aren’t getting more blessings is because we’re not thankful for what we already have. Ephesians 5:20 (NLT) says, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Everything we do—how we think, speak, and act—should show thanksgiving to God. The Bible also says in Psalm 84:11 that God withholds no good thing from us. When we truly believe this in our hearts, we become more thankful and grow closer to God. This opens doors to even more blessings.

Our heart should be filled to overflowing with thankfulness to God. He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 8:32 (NLT) tells us, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” That shows just how amazing and loving our Heavenly Father is. No matter what happens, no matter how hard things might get, God is always with us. He’s the one who provides for us and keeps us safe, and He will never let us down. So, let's start each day with thankfulness and show God that we love Him with everything we have.

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.

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.

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!

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.