Daily Inspirations
Scriptural “tidbits” and devotions to connect the Bible to our lives…
The Poison Within Us
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:21-24 (ESV)
Anger poisons our spirits.
Comparing a heart filled with anger to the act of murder, in this teaching Jesus makes a decisive and powerful statement about how seriously God looks at wrathful intent. For us to truly commune with our Heavenly Father as He desires of us, we need to lay our resentment, hate and anger at the foot of the Cross and petition God’s attention with a joyful and open heart.
Throwing Stones in Glass Houses
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.” – Luke 6:37 (NLT)
Over and over again in Scripture, we’re warned against casting judgment or assessing blame on others. As Jesus reminds us in this verse, none of us are without flaws and should exercise the same grace and forgiveness for others that we would desire they bestow on us.
Just Love… Period.
“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” – Matthew 22:34-40 (NLT)
Love. Love God; Wholly and completely. Love others; as deeply and personally as if it were yourself. Just Love… Period.
In this powerful and defining response to his critics, Jesus made it very clear what our primary directive as God’s Children is; to Love. Not to “kind of” love, not to just “like”, not to criticize, judge or condemn, but to love… openly, unabashedly, and fervently.
Reach out and share God’s overwhelming and uncompromising love today!
Approach With Importunity
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Luke 11:9-10 (ESV)
In this exposition on prayer, Jesus encourages us to approach God with importunity and the certainty that our prayers will be heard. As we would come to a close friend in a time of need, our Heavenly Father desires us to lay aside our pride and doubt, and to confidently seek His guidance and aid.
The Definition of Grace
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” – Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)
Jesus understands. He knows of our fears, experienced our temptations and assumed punishment for our sins in the most powerful act of radical love possible. He knows we’re flawed, and broken, yet nonetheless He laid the path for us to boldly approach Him with our petitions of forgiveness; such is the true definition of Grace.
The Blind Leading the Blind
“He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. “” – Luke 6:39-40 (NLT)
To properly relay and teach the Good News of Christ’s Message, it’s important that we enlighten ourselves as to His intent and desires for our lives. Through spending time in God’s Word, encompassing our days in prayer and reaching out in radical love and service to others, we gain the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings in our hearts, and can then more effectively deliver that hope to those around us.
From Our Very Foundations
“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”” – Mark 12:41-44 (ESV)
As this widow’s act of true faithfulness and sacrifice illustrated to Jesus’ disciples, we are not called to simply contribute to God from our excess, but from our very foundations. Whether it’s financially supporting His Work thorough the church, or setting our wants aside to assist with someone else’s needs, Jesus calls us to reach out in radical love and place His directives for us at the forefront of our hearts.
We Sacrifice the Eternal…
“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” – Mark 8:34-37 (ESV)
When we completely give our lives over to Christ, we put aside our reliance on and affinity for worldly influences, and place our trust and faith in His loving Grace to guide us and shape our path. For when our primary focus lies in responding to the lure of our earthly lives rather than heeding the call of our Heavenly Father, we sacrifice the eternal for the fleeting.
Each Load We Share…
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.” – Galatians 6:2-5 (ESV)
As part of Jesus’ directive for us to love one another, He desires that we reach out in compassion and assist each other with the trials and burdens we face. As fellow travelers on this journey, each load we can share not only Blesses those we support, but in the process also strengthens the entire Body of Christ and draws us closer to Him.
Honoring the Gift
“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” – Matthew 21:42-44 (ESV)
Just as Jesus warned the chief priests and Pharisees that they’d severely erred in dismissing His doctrines and teachings, it’s important that we don’t make the same mistake in our daily lives. By investing ourselves in learning His Word and striving to live by His example, we honor the amazing gift that was delivered to us through the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
