Devotionals

G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr explores the freedom found in committed discipleship and aligning life with God's call.

Odd title, I know. At the drop of a hat, if not sooner, I can be in rest-mode... and linger there for a seemingly endless span if time. Who needs to 'prepare' to relax, anyway? Well, our devotional today actually reflects on our 'before your day begins' time. One of the very hardest things to do is not do things, not prepare, not get ahead of yourself, and certainly ahead of the Lord as you face the day. It is SO easy and rather natural to 'get to it', right out of the gate, right as your...

...but, He doesn't. Sometimes your life may seem and feel like He cares very little for you; does not seem to be aware (or care) of the turmoil you face, the anguish you experience, or even the fear that hides deep in your soul... you know, that fear that makes you do things you regret or hate about yourself. He does care though, never misunderstand that. You may not feel it, sense it or realize it, but He does. To get you to a place where you really can internalize this fact, 1 Peter 5:6-7 ...

Well, to the right person, anyway. Alright, not just any person... someone who knows and understands you better than anyone else. But first, let's understand that grumbling and complaining actually is just an ornery way of venting frustration, disappointment, and dissatisfaction, to name a few. As we'd discussed in the ' Joy Regardlessly ' devotional, we really should find joy and quiet peace in His leading in our lives... but, we 'are' human, we 'do' have limitations, we 'are' a fallen...

Call me silly, a romantic, or maybe just plain loopy, but I thoroughly enjoy walking along hand-in-hand, don't you? First, the touch is an amazing feeling, then the feeling of a deeper connection is there, and then there's the sense of security and companionship combined, which all culminate into a wonderful completeness. Our devotional today helps us reflect on this regarding our relationship with the Lord. Just as we don't walk hand-in-hand with just anyone, so it is with the Lord; we are...

Our devotional today helps us reflect on our relationship with God and Jesus in a similar light. Just because we've been 'around the Lord' for a while, doesn't mean our zeal, excitement, and yearn is going to remain strong. Keeping our hearts and mind set on Him is not easy, keeping it fresh does require diligence on our part, attention to His presence in our lives.

Personally, I find it so much easier to do things alone. Not all things surely, but certain things like; errand running, project work (yard work, construction, cooking, etc), even just simple down time. Not at all that I favor doing things alone, but coordinating efforts with someone else can add more stress, more uncertainty, and worse more of 'not' getting something done 'my way'. Our devotional today reflects on how God made us to 'not' be so solitude in our lives, to include Him more and...

Ever thought about where God hangs out? Where He rests? We understand from scripture that He's out there. But, in the universe? Outer space? Our upper atmosphere? The devotional today helps convey His presence, both within or without. In fact, way back with the beginning of the 'exodus', God instructed Moses in Exodus 3:14, with; " And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. " There had to be someway to...

No one really knows the intents of the heart, the core thing(s) that motivate us to do and to be like we are... many times, we don't even understand them ourselves. Too often, we go through the motions. In many ways 'powering through' some crisis or event for the sake of impressions, or your commitment to a task, or even just out of fear, guilt, or lack of strength to challenge what you've become. Our devotional today reminds us that a guilt driven life can certainly lead to more calamity...

When we feel helpless, listening can let the Holy Spirit minister through us. A short devotional on patience, reverence, and letting God work in conversations.

G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr encourages bold, persistent prayer and an intimate pursuit of God's presence in daily life.

Jesus is not a crutch; He's the whole hospital! He can repair your brokenness. He can heal your diseases. He can transplant your sinful heart. He can breathe new life into your lungs. He can straighten and strengthen your spine. He can bring sight to the blind. He can revive your very soul. We just have to be 'admitted' into His care; no longer getting 'outpatient' care, no longer using God like a bandaid that we later rip off once the healing has begun. He is not a crutch that we set aside...

Tumult, discord, chaos, or even just simple confusion are all mechanisms of fear... and Satan loves using fear to set us back on our heels, to cause doubt, or merely to cause us to pause long enough to just miss a 'divine appointment'. Our devotional today helps remind us that fear can actually be a good 'trigger' to heighten our awareness of Jesus in our lives... and exercising faith in Jesus will automatically minimize the fear Satan wants us to 'respect'. After-all, we 'are' respecting...

G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr writes a short devotional urging wholehearted hope and practical steps to move beyond lukewarm faith.