GIFT ONLY FROM GOD

 

Ecclesiastes 5:19

"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift from God." NIV

"And every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift from God." KJV

Many teachers and religious leaders try to convince us that all we have to do is claim the material wealth of God by saying it is ours. Or, if we give something away, God will return to us riches and blessing. While God does bless those who give, he does not bless those who give in order to get something in return. Neither does he lavish material wealth on those who feel entitled. He pours out wealth and possessions by His grace, as a gift from His unending love.

Heavenly Father, we are in need of Your forgiveness for accepting ways to acquire wealth and possessions. Help us to remember that we are to be content with what we have and desire more of You. We thank You and praise You for the many blessings You have freely given us and we worship and praise You no matter what we have here on this earth. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WHY ARE YOU SO DOWN?

 

Psalm 43:5

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." NIV

"Why are thou cast down O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." KJV

We can all identify with that down and frustrated feeling. Tribulations and ungodly people may cause us to become downcast. If we allow ourselves to keep mentally rehearsing our desperate state, we will find ourselves getting further from God. We may begin to blame Him for our sorrows. When we find ourselves depressed and despairing, let's begin to praise God for all His unending mercy and because of His great love toward us.

Heavenly Father, we know ups and downs will occur in our lives because we live in a cursed world. Forgive us for getting snagged in the despairing times, causing us sadness and hopelessness. Put within us the Spirit of praise and worship to You during these times so that we will rise above them and find peace and joy in Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

GOD LONGS TO GIVE US PEACE

Isaiah 30:18

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" NIV

"And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." KJV

How many times have we asked the Lord, "Why?" When things are seemingly unbearable we do tend to want an answer for God as to why He is allowing this. But, by faith, we know that God is always ready and eager to bring blessing to our lives. Sometimes the blessing must follow a time of difficulty an darkness. If we will rise above our situation and wait in faith and hope, there is a wonderful blessing waiting for us.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our little faith. Help us to rise above the trials and tribulations of this life and stand on faith knowing You are working out Your plan to bless us. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

FLEE FROM IDOLATRY

 

1 CORINTHIANS 10:14

"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." NIV

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." KJV

Some of us have wrong impressions about idolatry. Of course we don't bow down and worship statues and charms. We don't pray to the stars or to the sun. Idolatry can be very innocent looking and subtly deceiving. Anything in all of creation can become an idol to us if we allow it to. Anything that is more important to us than God is an idol. It could be our church or pastor. It could be our children or any of our possessions. Let's ask God to examine us and reveal to us if we have any idols in our lives.

Heavenly Father, how we need for You to examine our hearts and for us to examine ourselves to see if there is anything in us that we hold more dear than You. If there is, help us to rid ourselves of the ungodly love we have for these idols and put them in their proper perspectives. We want You to be first in our lives, above all else. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

LOVE IS A COVER

 

1 Peter 4:8

"Above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins." NIV

"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." KJV

Without love, we have a tendency to judge, seek revenge, and maintain contention with one another when they offend us. There is so much hatred and conflict in this world today. The Word tells us to love one another intensely. Why? Because we tend to minimize the offenses of those we love. We let the little hurts and jabs roll of our backs and give pardon because we love. Love increases peace and harmony and decreases chaos and discord.

Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ came to earth and showed us how to love one another. Help us to put aside our resentment and grievances toward others and love our fellowmen. The world will know we are Yours if we do this. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

THO ALL SEEMS LOST, WE WILL REJOICE

 

Habakkuk 3: 17,18

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though their are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." NIV

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield not meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and then shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." KJV

Few will disagree that we are living in perilous and difficult times. Many are without jobs, life savings have been lost, and the future of the economy looks gloomy. Because we trust in the Lord, that He will keep His promises to us, we rejoice and praise Him, no matter how desolate and destitute we become here. We know what awaits us on the day He returns.

Heavenly Father, we are so willing but our flesh is weak. We tend to crumble and become fearful and distrusting when things go badly for us here on earth. Help us to always have our minds fixed on Your faithfulness and promises. Then instead of becoming overwhelmed by what is happening around us, we will rejoice and be glad because we know we will be with You for eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

HEIRS OF GOD

 

Romans 8:17

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." NIV

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." KJV

We know the legal children are the heirs of their parents, and when the parents die, the children receive all that the parents possess. How amazing it is that God adopted us as His legal children because of what Christ, His only Son, did for us. We are now brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ, co-heirs of God the Father. Unlike it is here on earth, God the Father will not die to give us what he possesses. He will give us the promised paradise of eternal life with him. If we suffer trials through this life as Christ did, we will receive the glorious reward that Christ Himself receives.

Heavenly Father, we are in awe that You loved us so much You provided a way to adopt us as You own. Help us to live so others will recognize the family resemblance. The only way we can thank you is to give our hearts and lives to You. In Jesus' name.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD

 

Romans 12:9

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." NIV

"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." KJV

To hate and abhor something is to detest with horror. Cleaving and clinging means holding tight, grasping or embracing, being cemented or glued. These words are critical for us in order to keep us on the straight and narrow path to eternal life. The more we hate sin, the less likely we will come near that which is sinful. Likewise, the more we cling to what is good, the more like Christ we will become.

Heavenly Father, please help us to hate evil and cling to that which is good so that we will turn from sin and be more and more like You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

SUFFICIENT GRACE

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness....'" NIV

"And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness....'" KJV

Haven't we all prayed for the Lord to remedy a situation, heal a sickness, remove some trial from our lives? Haven't we thought we could be of much more use for His kingdom if He answered positively to these prayers? If so, we are missing the mark. Whatever we are facing, no matter how difficult our challenges, God's grace will never let us down and will support us in our difficulty. In fact, if we get to a place where we feel too weak and we've reached our limit, God will use us so that all will know He has used His own power through us to accomplish His work.

Heavenly Father, we confess that we want to be the ones who do great things for You. But You have a different plan. Help us Lord to do all we can in our weak and human ways and then trust that You will work through us with Your mighty power. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

BE KIND, COMPASSIONATE, FORGIVING

 

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." NIV

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." KJV

It is human nature to excuse and rationalize any wrongs we do against others. Of course, God forgives us because of Christ. It is also human nature to be more critical and judgmental when others do wrong against us. It takes Godly love and the fruit of the Holy Spirit to forgive others. We are richly supplied with these; therefore, God forgives us in the same way we forgive others.

Heavenly Father, we praise You and glorify Your name that You forgive all our sins when we repent and confess. Help us Lord, to freely forgive others just like You have forgiven us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

BEING HOLY

 

1 Peter 1:15

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." NIV

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." KJV

God has not called us to be perfect like He is perfect, but He has called us to be holy as He is holy. If we are truly born again, committed to following Christ, we will begin to conform our attitudes and behaviors to be Christlike. We emulate the One we worship and adore. Being holy is being Christlike.

Heavenly Father, since it is not within us naturally to be holy, we ask you earnestly for Your Holy Spirit to help us be more Christlike, holy, in all we think, say, and do. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

LEVEL GROUND

 

Hebrews 12:13

"Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." NIV

"And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." KJV

Being humans, we are weak in some facet of our spiritual life. We have a tendency to get off the straight path and get into jagged rocks, thorns, and potholes that cause us injury and make us weak. Getting back on the straight path can be difficult depending on how far off and how long we were off the straight path. The Lord will guide us back if we confess and repent. Then our spiritual injuries will heal as we keep walking on His straight path.

Heavenly Father, we know You are so aware of our frailties as humans and that we wander off the path at times. We ask for your grace and mercy to stay on the path, but when we get off of it, we need Your love and grace to draw us back so that we can heal and continue on maturing and becoming more like You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WHO IS A LIAR?

 

1 John 2:4

"The man who says 'I know him.' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not In him." NIV

"He that saith 'I know him,' and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." KJV

Our world is full of people who claim to be Christians, but they only use the term to cover up their sinful lives. Being a Christian is not a mental decision or spoken proclamation. Being a Christian is a relationship with the Lord our God and a hunger to become more like Him.

Heavenly Father, we pray for discernment to know those who are false Christians. Help us to witness to them with our words and our lives and keep us from being pulled away by their words and lives. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

BAD TO WORSE

 

2 Timothy 3:13

"While evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." NIV

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." KJV

We are warned over and over to watch, be alert, so that we will not be deceived. The false teachers and ungodly religious leaders are so deceived themselves, they actually believe the lies they are teaching and practicing. These deceivers are handsome, very good speakers, and have very persuasive personalities. If we are not alert, grounded in the Word, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we are in danger of being deceived just as these ungodly people are.

Heavenly Father, how we praise You for Your gifts of faith, the Word, and Your Holy Spirit. Lord, increase our hunger for more of these as we continue in this world of deception and ungodliness. Help us to stand strong in the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word so that we will stand true to You and not be deceived. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

LIVE PEACEABLY

 

Romans 12:18

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." NIV

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." KJV

We all know someone with whom it is just impossible to have a peaceful relationship. If could be a family member, a co-worker, neighbor, or acquaintance. But, as Christians, we are to strive to the best of our abilities to be peaceful with them. Even if the other person is being argumentative, mean, and difficult, we still work to remain as peaceful as we can.

Heavenly Father, You fully understand how it is to have people taunting, insulting, and being dreadfully violent to You. None of us have yet faced that kind of thing, but we are human and there are times when we lose our peace with some people. Forgive us for that, and we pray that You will fill us to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit so that peace will radiate from us at all times. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

COMMITTED TO HIM

 

Proverbs 8:34

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors; waiting at my doorway." NIV

"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the post of my doors." KJV

How hungry are we for God and His Word? Look at the Olympic hopefuls and champions. They listen to their coaches. They are at the training place early to practice for hours every day. They learn to focus their minds on all they have learned to perform a perfect routine. How much more should we be studying God's Word and looking for Him in all things, following His ways? Just like the dedication of the Olympians means the winning of the gold medal, so our commitment to the Lord means our receiving eternal life with Him.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not giving our all and for getting caught up in the things going on in this world. Help us to dedicate ourselves to You and Your Word so that You will be glorified and we will win the prize of eternity in heaven with You. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

THERE IS NO OTHER NAME

 

Acts 4:12

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we much be saved." NIV

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." KJV

We can attend church every time the doors open. We can read the Bible to the point we have it memorized. We can talk the Christian lingo and read all the Christian literature we can get our hands on. But, unless we repent, accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior from our sin we are still unsaved and on our way to eternal destruction. Jesus Christ is the only way, the only one through whom we can be saved.

Heavenly Father, please search us and reveal to us that we are Your children. Show us if we depend on our Christian works to make us worthy. Give us spiritual zeal to tell others that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life. In His name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WATERED DOWN RELIGION

 

2 Timothy 4:3

 

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." NIV

 

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." NIV

The Christian life is a narrow, lonely, and at times difficult path. For true Christians it is a way of joy and peace, walking Godly in faith. For carnal men, this narrow way requires too much and puts a crimp in the lifestyle they want to live. In order to have some form of godliness, they associate themselves with teachers and groups who speak safe, comfortable words. Words that don't require the giving of self or forsaking the sinful lifestyles they are living.

Heavenly Father, search our hearts to see if we have turned to a comfortable Christianity so that we can get our hearts right in Your eyes. We ask that You would lead us to those who hang on to false teaching. Prepare their hearts by the Holy Spirit to receive the Truth of the Gospel and repentance. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

         

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WHOLE HEARTED SERVICE

 

Ephesians 6:7

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." NIV

"With good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men." KJV

Each of us has some sort of responsibility or work we must do every day, in spite of how we feel or what the chore is. We all know of individuals who perform their duties well only when the overseer or other people are watching them. Perhaps there are times when we rush through a task because we don't like it or we just want to get it done. The Word tells us to put our whole hearts into whatever we do just as it if is solely for the Lord. In doing so, God will be pleased that we take our responsibilities seriously and we will find our tasks to be much easier and more pleasant.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for seeing our daily responsibilities as a drudgery and rushing through them. We commit our work to You, Lord and we will do what we need to do with joy and pleasure, knowing we are doing it for You and Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WHERE OUR EYES LOOK

 

Psalm 119:37

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word." NIV

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in Thy Way." KJV

It is in our nature to look at and dwell on things that would take us away from what is Godly and holy. If we pray each day for God to help us to keep our eyes on Him and not on worldly, self-satisfying things, He will strengthen, refresh, and energize us to live and walk in His ways.

Heavenly Father, we commit our eyes and minds to You so that we will not get side tracked by the things of this world. We ask for strength to keep our eyes on You and Your will for our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

JESUS, THE DOOR

 

John 10:9

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture." NIV

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." KJV

The Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being attacked by false teachers who try to say everyone of every religion worships the same God and there are many roads that lead to heaven. This philosophy is of Antichrist and we as Christians recognize it. Jesus Christ is the only way, the only door to eternal life. That is the Truth pure and undefiled.

Heavenly Father, You have warned us that false teaching would flourish in the last days that would water down and lead us away from the truth of the Gospel. Give us zeal and boldness to witness the True Gospel message of Jesus Christ, our only hope of salvation to this lost world. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

EXAMINE YOURSELVES

 

2 Corinthians 13:5

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves..." NIV

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves..." KJV

There are so many ways our faith becomes tainted. It is critical that we thoroughly examine our faith to see if we have taken in anything contrary to the Word of God. To test our faith, our spiritual purity we must use it. Think of it like we were seeking to find out if a paint sprayer was good or not. We could look at it and all its' parts. We could read the materials that come with it. We could even do research on the materials from which it is made. But none of this would tell us if this paint sprayer was a good one or not. The only way to know is to use it, try it out. That's how we can examine ourselves. We take note of the way we respond and cope with the everyday trials and challenges of life to see if we reflect Jesus Christ or our own fleshly nature.

Heavenly Father, give us courage to examine ourselves during challenging times so that we can test our faith and know that we are walking totally in Your ways and that we will be found faithful. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YEAST

 

Galatians 5:9

"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." NIV

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." KJV

The process of making bread dough is fascinating if you watch how the yeast causes the lump of dough to literally double in size. In a similar way, false teachers and worldly ideas added into the Truth of the Gospel can change the Truth into a large lie. Allowing ourselves to commit "small little sins that won't hurt anything," will cause significant damage to our Christian testimony and our relationship with our Lord. If we test all things by the Word of God, we will be alert and able to identify these "small little yeasts" and get them away before they cause damage to our churches and our own spiritual relationships with our Lord.

Heavenly Father, we humbly ask your forgiveness for allowing bits of yeast to enter our lives. We trust in You to give us discernment and boldness to identify and destroy those things that subtly try to invade the Truth and lead us off the path. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

LOVE AND LIGHT

 

1 John 2:10

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing to make him stumble." NIV

"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." KJV

Recall how we have had to find our way in a dark house until we could get to a lamp or light switch. That is where we are spiritually if we are holding any resentment or anger against anyone who follows Christ. The Lord has united love with light. If we love our fellow Christians, we are walking in the light and that keeps us from falling into sin.

Heavenly Father, search our hearts and reveal to us if there is any anger or resentment in our hearts against a fellow Christian. If there is, help us to let go of this anger and fill our hearts with mercy, the mercy You have shown to us. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

WHO IS MY BROTHER

 

Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew 12:48

"He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?'" NIV

"But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren?" KJV

Jesus knew, as the Son of Man, it was his own earthly family waiting to speak with him. But as the Son of God, he knew that he had responsibility for all those who followed him. If we follow Jesus' example, we will attend to and minister not only to our earthly families, but to the whole family of God.

Heavenly Father, please help us to remember that all those in your family are our family and we are to love and minister to them as much as we would our own earthly families. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

A LITTLE FAITH

 

Luke 8: 43-48

Luke 8:44

"She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." NIV

"Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched." KJV

Does it seem like we pray harder and muster all the faith we can when we have a dire need? Sometimes, we might be so enveloped in our circumstance, we don't know what to pray. But our Lord responds to the slightest touch of our faith. All we have to do is just reach out to Him and He will look past those shoving and pressing Him to attend to us. It only takes a soft touch of faith.

Heavenly Father, how blessed we are to have a Savior who attends to us with even the smallest touch of faith on our parts. We ask that you help us to remember that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. We praise you and ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC