Devotions

1st Chronicles 10-12 MIGHTY MEN TOP TEN Please the three chapters at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. It isn't just a long list of names today, so I'd recommend reading just so you can get a feel for it again. Okay, so what was up with repeating stuff? I mean, unless I read wrong, today was a bunch of stuff we've already read, right? Stuff about David, and Saul... didn't we already read that? Do I have to write about it all AGAIN?! Haha. Just kidding. But if you were wondering this when you read, then yes, you were right. We did read about David and Saul before... pretty recently. But this is a different version. It's just like the four gospels, Matthew Mark, Luke and John. It's the same stuff, Jesus being born, His miracles, His death. His Resurrection. Each book, though, has a little different perspective, and we'll get into those books later on. Now, we'll focus on David and Saul and a few little things that we...

1st Chronicles 7-9 Gimme a break. Remember when that was the slogan for Kit Kat? It had a catchy tune to it, too. Good stuff. Oddly enough, that's what the devotion if about today. It's funny, too... because until now, I've been putting my devotions out there for everyone to see, thinking that it might change some one's life or something. In order to do that, I need to take my own darn advice and listen to what I'm putting out there for people! I don't take any of what I've said over the last few months back. I just really need to listen to it myself! I need to "take a break" and let all I've said sink in. For instance: I keep telling people that "revenge is never the answer!" and just TODAY, even, I was all revenge full on my sister when she took my tee-shirt without asking. A TEE-SHIRT! I think what we all need to realize is that no matter how many devotions I write, or how many times we read them... there's nothing that they...

1st Chronicles 6 ALL THE DEPRESSING STUFF IN LIFE. Interesting topic? I think so. In fact, I think this might be one of the most controversial topics for Christians and non-believers. "IF there's a God, then why do people suffer? Why do people die?" When I was little, I wasn't as confused. Everything is easier when we're little, right? We thought babies came from storks and people died so they could be with God. Now that I'm old enough to see the suffering people go through, and all the suffering their loved ones go through, it makes me sad, a little. Heck, it makes me doubt a little, too. Does it make you wonder? When I was reading the one chapter today, (1st Chronicles chapter 6) I couldn't help but notice the names listed. I mean, there were TONS of sons of sons of sons. And if God cares enough to bring that many people into the world, then how could He take them out of it, right? HOW CAN GOD LET PEOPLE DIE? Then, I thought about Easter. God brought His...

1st Chronicles 3-5 Like yesterday, the reading is mostly just names and such, so it's not as important to read the daily chapters. But if you want to, please do! I've provided a BIBLE READER to the left of this post or you can read the chapters at http://www.bible.com/ . I HAVE A GIFT , YOU SAY? Okie dokie, let's get this thing started. Since the daily reading is all about names and people in history , I thought it'd be a good idea to start talking about people in the present -- YOU! A lot of people had qualities listed next to their names in today's reading, which was interesting. Some were good fighters, for example. Have you ever wondered what YOU are good at? They're called spiritual gifts, which means they were given from God. Now no matter if you're young or old, you might not know what your gift is just yet. Jesus has a specific reason why and when He reveals your gifts, so be patient if you haven't figured them out yet. There are a few classes at...

1st Chronicles 1-2 It isn't as important to read the daily chapters today. It's just a bunch of names. Buttttttttt... if you feel compelled to read them, please do. You can read them with your very own Bible, at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. So basically, just a bunch of names. When I found that we were starting Chronicles today, I thought it would be like The Chronicles of Narnia or something, filled with action and romance and overcoming of fear. Instead, it was a list of names. I guess everything was put in the Bible for a reason, mostly so big scientific people can trace back the beginning of time or something. I think I've already talked about this a few months back, but seeing as you probably don't remember, I'll talk about it again today :) It's an important lesson to learn, in my opinion, so if you remember me talking about this, bear with me. I guess it's just a refresher. Throughout the reading of names today, so...

2nd Kings 24- 25 (LAST CHAPTERS!) Only two chapter to read today, folks. Be sure to do so-- there's an AH-MAZE-ING passage I'm going to talk about quite frequently today! So, here we are. Almost done with 2nd Kings, and about to start 1st Chronicles-- so please be sure to tell all your buddies to read tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be epic, and it will be a great opportunity to start reading since it's a new book of the Bible and all. To begin the devotions for today... we've all had those types pf people who-- how do I say this nicely? We all know those kinds of people who are just-- uhm... well I guess there's only one way to say it. The Jerks. Everyone has them, right? I'm sure you can all think of someone. Now, just because a few people come to mind, that doesn't mean they actually are as evil they seem. We all know that sometimes good people make bad decisions, and blah blah blah blah. They still get on our nerves though. Constantly taking advantage o...

2nd Kings 22-23 MUCHAS GRACIAS! In English, this translates to “thanks very much.” Why am I giving you this Spanish lesson, you ask? Because, the topic of today’s devotion is giving thanks for what the good Lord gave us. This applies to today’s reading because of how Josiah changed his nation’s ways when he found the Law of God. If you haven’t already, you can find the word of God by reading today’s short two chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. Basically, there’s been a pretty bad history of kings. Almost all of them were sinning against God, and doing nothing to stop the sins of their people. There were shrines to other “gods” and people were sacrificing their children! Needless to say, the people were in some desperate need of God. God has the power to do just about ANYTHING, so when He saw his people in need; he led them to discover the Book of the Law, which was forgotten in the temple. It’s almost like discovering a secret treasure map. Ma...

2nd Kings 19-21 PRAYING FOR DUMMIES I don't want to copy anything from the book (pictured above,) so it's a goods thing I've never read it. I'm sure it might be helpful, or something like that... but when I read today's three short chapters from the ULTIMATE "How to___" book, I was inspired to have praying the topic of the devotion for today. If you haven't already, please read the chapters (2nd Kings 19-21) at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. You can also read from your own Bible, if you've got one :) So, let's have a recap from yesterday. The King of a kingdom of Israel was sinning in the eyes of God, and God got SO frustrated that He stepped away from them for a little. I think it's important to note that we have a savior that wasn't there back then, named Jesus, who can will never turn His back on us. Just though I'd point that out. Anywho, the Israelites continued to sin, and the blessin...

2nd Kings 17-18 DON'T GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS. Please read the two easy chapters (2nd Kings 17-18) at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. I wanted to travel back in time when reading today's chapters. Not necessarily to meet any kings, or any prophets-- heck, I wouldn't of even gone back in time to take some gold and silver. The main reason I would want to travel back into today's reading is to slap an Israelite in the face. I probably would of gotten thrown into the dungeon, or been stoned to death, but after reading how ignorant and disrespectful they were to God today-- I think it would almost be worth it. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to offend anyone. It was just SO FRUSTRATING, right? The fact that they were sinning against the one who CREATED them makes me angry! And get this: even though they were sacrificing their children, and worshipping gods that lived on poles, God STILL loved them enough to give ...

A Request by OfficiallyInspired (aka Hanna) Hanna recently asked me about the Bible's take on evolution, the creation of Earth, the age of time... yadda yadda yadda. It's a very very very good question, Hanna. Unfortunately, good questions can take a while to answer, so I'm sorry if what I'm saying isn't what you're looking for. I went to church tonight to ask my youth pastor, Nathan, what the facts were, and I wanted to know his take on the subject, too. Thanks so much, Nathan, if you're reading this. I really appreciate the time you put into all of us kiddies and our lives. Basically, Hanna, the Bible is pretty cut and dry, word for word. So, if you're asking what the BIBLE says about the Earth, then literally the Earth is 6,000 years old, and it took God 7 days (168 hours) to create the Earth, and everything in it. However, it brings ANOTHER confusing question up, about who the heck thought this up, and who could of written it all down, right? Adam an...

2nd Kings 14-16 FIGHTS AREN'T RIGHT. I'm not here to preach about anti-violence. Granted, I don't believe in violence-- but still. If you haven't, please read 2nd Kings 14-16 now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. There's a lot of fighting in today's reading. Fighting with opposing nations, which I guess is understandable... but there was even fighting between parts within the SAME NATION! It was strange to me, but then I kind of thought about how that can apply to us. How many people out there have ever gotten in a fight with their friends? You may think "friends aren't supposed to fight! That's why they're friends!" But often, friends have the same thoughts, which means they can disagree on things sometimes, too. They can't always be in tune. And sometimes, when you've been agreeing for a long time, the first little issue that pops up seems big. Sometimes you have to have those little dis...

2nd Kings 11-13 AGE IS JUST A NUMBER. I sometimes laugh when I think about those celebrity couples, you know the kind. The 20 year old movie star dating the 60 year old director? It's kind of weird to see, and we immediately assume they're both in it for money, and claim they're "in love." But I guess I've been a little harsh on those types of couples. I don't agree with it in Hollywood, because 9 times out of 10 it's for the money and publicity. But in a regular world, with regular people... we aren't usually in love with people 40 years older than us. Maybe you are-- and I guess that's cool... but what I'm TRYING to get at here is that as Christians, we should love everyone, and be accepting of everyone. Does that mean you have to agree with people of weird ages being "in love?" Does that mean you have to find someone 40 years away from you to be in love with? Of course not. In fact, you don't need to be in love with anyone ...

2nd Kings 8-10 SILENCE IS GOLDEN. DUCT TAPE IS SILVER. I've seen all kinds of tee-shirts that read "Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver." It's a pretty funny thing to think about sometimes, like you can simply silence someone by covering their mouth. But I'll bet that if they really wanted to say something, they'd find a way to express it, through actions or motions. For instance, let's say I wanted to warn you that there is a wild cheetah running after you! But wait-- there's duct tape over my mouth, so I can't tell you. I wouldn't know what to say anyways, I could say "look out," or "ahh!" or "there's a cheetah running after you!" or even the creative combination of "AHHH! There's a cheetah running after you! Look out!" The fact of the matter is, if I really cared about you (which I do,) I would do anything to tell you the message. I'd point behind you, or pound on the table to get yo...

2nd Kings 6-7 Read now with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . Gosh, today's reading was by far one of the most confusing couple of chapters I've ever read. It kept talking about eating things, and men of God, and people being trampled... I'm so confused! I don't want to come out and talk about something I honestly don't understand, either... so I'm at a fault here. I don't know what to say. The sad part is, I can think of 1,000 things I've said in my devotions that go against what I'm saying, like to "never give up!" and "pray all the time!" and "ask God for help!" So, I feel like a failure at the moment, with nothing to say. I can't find something that relates to the reading! It's so confusing, and jumbled, and hard to read. It's bizarre, and weird, and unnecessary... But then it came to me-- so is the world. God didn't intend to have horrible tragedies and diseases...

2nd Kings 4-5 One God, One Heart. Powerful reading today, right? If you haven't already, please read 2nd Kings 4-5 at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. I'll be here when you get back. For those of you who have read, wasn't it a little confusing at first? I was seeing all these miracles that Elisha was doing, and it's not like I doubted they existed, because they were written in the Bible. But I guess I was just really confused as to why Elisha was doing all these great things-- and not God. Why wasn't God healing people, right? It was like Elisha got to play God for a little while. But then it hit me-- it wasn't Elisha doing all these miracles by himself! He had the spirit of God moving through him, which made more sense. I think that's how it is with a lot of things, now that I think about it. God is responsible for ever "good coincidence" of any kind. There's no good luck or lucky situations, because it...

2nd Kings 1-3 Welcome to the book of 2nd Kings! If you're new here, you can read these three chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. If you're not new here, still read them :) God did some crazy stuff in today's reading, I think. I wasn't really sure what to write about today, and that happens a lot, actually. But instead of making something up, I figured I'd just rant on about what we read. Wasn't that Elijah guy cool? I mean, sometimes the stuff we read seems unlikely. Come on, a river turning to blood? A river put out there by God in the first place? And God can do miracles that kill people? What was THAT all about? Not just today, but throughout all my devotions. I feel like there's this little part of me that's screaming "come ON, Carly. Get real! Do you really think that someone could heal a disease with their hands? Can someone really provide food for an entire group of people? Can a man really be raised ...

1st Kings 21-22 (100th Devotion Today!!) Two simple ways to be a Christian. Ever wondered just what it takes to be a Christian? Maybe you've been going to church your whole life. Maybe you've never stepped foot into a church your entire life. But wherever you are in your faith, there are two simple things I learned about Christianity today, and they can help you wherever you may be. If you haven't already, please read today's chapters, 1st Kings 21-22, at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post. They'll help you understand what I'm trying so hard to explain :) So to get everything started, we've got this King guy, the ruler of Samaria at the time. His name was Ahab, and he wanted this vineyard that was next to his palace, because it was close to his palace. Of course, the vineyard was already owned bu this other guy named Naboth... who refused to sell his land. Ahab went home to his wife, Jezebel, and poured out his soul to ...

1st Kings 19-20 POWER OF PRAYER How many of you have ever heard your pastor or even a normal person talk about the power of prayer? Before I read today, it was just kind of like this cool sounding phrase that I knew was true, but I hadn't really thought about before. But today's reading does a perfect job at talking about what prayer can do, and what happens if you don't pray. If you haven't already, you only have to read two chapters today, so please read 1st Kings 19-20 at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. Alright so we have this guy named Elijah, a prophet. While his entire surroundings believed in this non-existent so-called "god," he stayed true to the REAL God, and was out casted from his people. He left his home, afraid of what they'd do to him. Then, he realized that there was no reason for him to carry on. Have you ever felt like that before? You feel powerless sometimes, when stuff doesn't go your way. Especial...

1st Kings 16-18 SO, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT YOUR FAITH? Me too, actually. In fact, even though I tried to make sure we kept God apart of our lives yesterday, I'll admit it. I'll just come out and say that I made it sound really easy. It's SO not. I try to make Him apart of my day, and yes, praying helps... but it's tough. There are always those people who doubt your faith. Sometimes WE even doubt our faith. I'll be the first to say that I have troubles. It's a weird concept to grasp, right? Some guy being raised from the dead? And it's not like crazy miracles are being done by people, either. When's the last time YOU saw your doctor heal leprosy? But when I read today's reading, I was changed. If you haven't read already, PLEASE read three short chapters of the Bible, (1st Kings 16-18) at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post. First of all, we got to read about people that were struggling to keep God in their heads...

1st Kings 13-15 CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I know, I know. I'm starting today's devotion off pretty randomly. But throughout the reading, I felt like the people were given so many chances to turn around, and so many chances they could confess their sins. They were almost ignoring God. They had how many Kings in today's reading, at least 4? And still, not one of them was able to make a big difference. One guy tried to turn things around, but he didn't. None of them did. Like I said, they had plenty of opportunities to, also. It seemed as if God was literally slapping them in the face telling them "HELLO?!?! I'M RIGHT HERE! CAN YOU HEAR ME? FOLLOW ME!" But, they weren't listening to him. It's a shame, to me. And that doesn't mean that I always listen to God, either. I'll admit, it's hard. There are so many places where it can be the easiest thing in the universe, like when you're alone in your room, praying. And when you're at church, s...

1st Kings 10-12 Read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post! First off, thank you so much to Keely for stepping up to the plate. I've learned how to manage time and how to fit this devotion into my life, but the first couple time it really wasn't as easy as it looked. Kudos to Keely for finding the time and ambition to write such a great devotion, Amen? Thanks again, Keely. I know you didn't really want people to know your name, but it's simply a way to recognize you. No phone number or address attached :) Let's get this devotional thingy started! First off, I'll admit, today's story was a little dry. But now that I was thinking about what to talk about for today, I kind of started to think the opposite. I went to a retreat yesterday about telling your story to people, and to listen to other people and their stories. So, yeah... this story in today's reading might not pertain to me as I hoped, but I'm sure many can r...

1st Kings 8-9 Hey everyone! Like Carly said yesterday, this is not her, it's her friend! (I would put my name but it's kind of unique and not very many people have it so I shall not.) I'm not used to doing this, so bare with me here and we can do it. :) You can read today’s chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER oh so conveniently located to the left. Let's get started!!! So in today’s chapters King Solomon finished the temple and they made a TON of animal sacrifices to honor God. Then Solomon made a prayer that was about 2 pages long but had some really good things in it. One thing I really agree with that was in his prayer was when he said "Yes, hear us from Heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive." I love that line (And not just because it rhymes ;) ) because I truly believe that God hears every single prayer we make and I also believe that our prayers don't have to be like Solomon's. (11 paragraphs long...) We can make quick ...