WHEN LOVE GROWS COLD (What do I do?)

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

REVELATION 2:4-5: “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Do you remember what your life was like when you first received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Do you remember the love you felt for Jesus and for your new brothers and sisters in Christ? Everything was new! You looked at people differently! You did not see the flaws in people; you saw their God-given potential!

I love it when I read through the Bible each year, and two Scriptures collide. They are addressing different things but are focused on the same core truth. I experienced this as I completed the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, and began the book of Revelation, the last book in the New Testament.

“Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.” (Malachi 2:13-14 NLT)

In both of these references, something died! Although the church in Ephesus was going through the motions of faithfulness, they were so caught up in the business of ministry that they forgot how to love. Although the Israelites were offering their offerings to the Lord, their service had become mere rote. They had lost their compassion and love. This was evident in how the men were treating their wives!

Our love for the Lord and our love for our wives are very similar. In fact, Paul uses them to illustrate how a husband and wife are to love one another.

“For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church… In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.” (Ephesians 5:22-23, 28-29 NLT

Our love for Jesus Christ should guide our love for one another. Our love for one another flows out of our love for Jesus Christ. When our love for Jesus grows cold, our love for our spouse does too. The church in Ephesus was just like the Israelites that had returned to Jerusalem. They were busy with the routine, but they had lost the reason they were doing it.

That reason is Love!

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT)

So what is the answer? It is a matter of investment and focus. I am not talking about more busyness. I am talking about quality time. When I first gave my life to Jesus Christ, all I wanted to do was read my Bible, go to church, and share my faith. As I did this, my love for Jesus and for others overflowed.

When I first met my wife, all I wanted was to spend quality time with her. We did not have all the other responsibilities of life, so every moment was spent invested in each other. I spent time planning things that I knew would bring her joy. I could not wait to be with her. I was in love!

Now, add jobs, kids, mortgages, car payments, church responsibilities, and just the everyday stress of life. What is the first thing to leak from our relationship with the Lord and with our spouse? It is the quality time we spent in our days of our first love. We may go through the motions, but they are motions devoid of the love and affection we once had. If we continue this way, without any course correction, we are in danger of shipwrecking both our relationship with Jesus Christ and our marriage!

What does Jesus call us to do?

“Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:5 NLT)

Do the works you did at first! Don’t be caught in the ‘Martha Cycle’ of so much activity that you forget to love. Spend quality time with Jesus! Sit at His feet and listen to His word. Spend quality time with your spouse. Reestablish a date night. Share in the activities they love to do and plan days where it is just the two of you, enjoying each other, apart from all the stresses of life.

Love does not cultivate itself. But without love, we really have nothing. As I read these verses from Revelation and Malachi, I feel compelled to take an inventory of my life. Have I left my first love? Have I neglected the wife of my youth? Am I just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal?

Heavenly Father, create in me a clean heart. Renew within me a new spirit. Restore me with the love and joy of Your salvation. May my heart be renewed in my love for You, for others, especially my love for my wife!

In Jesus’ Name!

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WHEN WE FACE TIMES OF PERSONAL DROUGHT…

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

HAGGAI 1:3-7: “Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: ‘Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!” NLT

OBSERVATION: Have you ever been in a personal drought? Life is going along smoothly, and then you hit a sudden string of setbacks. They can be personal or financial. When this happens, what do I do? Do I doubt God’s promises? Do I grow weak in my faith? Or is another response needed?

First, let me establish: I am not addressing the consequences of sin or overt disobedience. These actions have their own consequences and must be dealt with. I am addressing what happens when you seem to be doing all the right things: you are reading your Bible, going to church, and trying to serve the Lord to the best of your ability.

And then it happens. The bottom drops out of everything!

This is where the remnant of Israel who had returned to Israel found themselves. They were trying to rebuild their lives. To make matters worse, they faced great opposition in doing so. They became so focused on self-preservation that they completely forgot why they were even allowed to return to Jerusalem from their Babylonian captivity.

“This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! ” (Ezra 1:2-3 NLT)

King Cyrus had allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. They had returned, rebuilt their homes, planted crops, and were eking out an existence, but they neglected the reason they were allowed to return. The Temple grounds lay in rubble. They had taken their eyes off God’s call. They had settled for survival and faced an uphill battle. The Lord speaks to the remnant of Israel regarding their condition.

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” (Haggai 1:4-6 NLT)

Sometimes, out of God’s sincere love for us, and to restore us to our calling, He allows a time of personal drought in our lives. This is not because He does not care. It is because God knows our joy and peace are at stake.

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11 NKJV)

It is easy to be so occupied with the temporal needs of life that we neglect God’s call in our lives and begin drifting away from His presence. When we do not hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit trying to correct us, God allows hardships in our lives to get our attention, so that we cry out to Him, look up, and receive His direction, correction, and blessing. The Lord continues to speak to the remnant of Israel.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.” (Haggai 1:7-8 NLT)

The writer of Hebrews shows us God’s love in correction. God’s goal is always to restore us to His perfect will so that we can walk in the fullness of His joy! When we face the droughts of life, we need to stop, quiet our hearts, look to our Heavenly Father, and listen to His instruction.

“For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:10-11 NLT)

Postscript: The remnant of Israel, along with Zerubbabel, the Governor of Jerusalem, responded to God in obedience. They corrected their course. They laid the Temple’s foundation and began to rebuild. They returned to God’s calling for their lives. And God responded in kind.

“Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.” (Haggai 2:18-19 NLT)

What can I learn from this Biblical record? God loves me enough to correct me. When I go through trials, it is not always an attack of the enemy. I need to use discernment. I need to pray. I need to open God’s Word. I need to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

If it is an attack from the enemy, God will give me the grace and faith to withstand it. However, if it is God’s correction, He will give me the instruction on how to return to His pathway of life so I can walk in His provision and the fullness of His joy. We see this pattern over and over again in the Bible. The key is…

When drought happens – humble yourself and call upon the name of the Lord!

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you… In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6-7, 10-11 NLT)

Heavenly Father, help me to look to You in times of plenty and in times of drought. I surrender to Your love today. Search me, now me, and correct me to keep me on the pathway of Your will for my life and to enter into the fullness of Your joy!

In Jesus’ Name!

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WILL WE BE LIKE JONAH ON NOVEMBER 3RD?

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

JONAH 1:1-3: “The Lord gave this message to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.” NLT

OBSERVATION: We all know the story of Jonah. When we read these familiar stories that we learned in Sunday School and have heard sermons preached so many times, we can tend to read them and just move on. This is what happened when I read the book of Jonah today. I checked off the familiar points.

  • Jonah called by God.
  • Running from the call.
  • Swallowed by a great fish.
  • Crying out to God.
  • Vomited out on shore.
  • Preaches to Nineveh.
  • Nineveh repents.
  • Jonah complains over their repentence and the loss of a simple shade plant.

There are so many applications to this story. Yet, I never thought about it in relation to the upcoming National Election in the United States, this November 3rd, 2026. So many Christians view the United States like Jonah viewed Nineveh. What’s the use? Why vote? What difference can I make?

  • Some will simply go to work that day and not vote.
  • Others will find excuses why they could not make it to the polls.
  • Some will object to voting because their choice of candidates is not ‘Christian’ enough.
  • And, maybe even worse, some will vote without even understanding what the issues are!

Someone has wisely said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!”

This year we face candidates who reject the God of the Bible, want to tear down the very foundations of our nation, and are promoting the religion of communism. Communism is a religion because it demands complete adherence from its followers and it promises to meet all the needs of mankind. It takes more faith to embrace communism than it does to embrace Christianity.

The only problem is that communism has led to the greatest misery and suffering this world has ever known. The following list was taken from a Gemini AI summary, Monday, October 12, 2026

“The implementation of communism throughout history has produced profound and wide-ranging effects on politics, economics, and human society:

  1. Abolition of Private Property and Free Markets: Private ownership of land, businesses, and capital is replaced by state or communal ownership, ending free-market competition.
  2. Centrally Planned Economies: Governments dictate production quotas, pricing, and distribution through central agencies (such as Gosplan in the Soviet Union).
  3. Chronic Shortages and Scarcity: The absence of market price signals and profit incentives frequently results in widespread inefficiencies, long consumer queues, and a lack of basic goods.
  4. Totalitarian Political Control: Regimes typically operate as single-party states that monopolize political power and suppress opposition parties.
  5. Loss of Individual and Civil Freedoms: Freedom of speech, press, assembly, entrepreneurship, and artistic expression are heavily restricted or outlawed.
  6. Mass Casualties and Human Cost: Historical enforcement—including forced collectivization, political purges, famines, and labor camps like the Gulag—has been associated with tens of millions of deaths.
  7. State Control of Information and Media: Mass media, education, publishing, and public communication are centralized to propagate official ideology and eliminate independent thought.
  8. Enforced Secularism and Restrictions on Religion: Many communist states actively discouraged, heavily regulated, or violently suppressed religious institutions and practices in favor of state-mandated atheism.
  9. Provision of Basic Social Services: Regimes often delivered universal (though frequently low-quality) access to basic healthcare, housing, and education as part of their social contract.
  10. Long-Term Societal and Economic Legacies: Post-communist societies frequently face lingering institutional weakness, generational psychological trauma, and economic gaps compared to peer market economies.” (Gemini AI, October 12, 2026)

I am old enough to have witnessed the fall of communism in the USSR. When the Berlin Wall collapsed, people did not run to East Berlin; they rushed into West Berlin and the newfound freedom they had just been granted.

We have a choice this November 3rd. We can rush to the polls and vote for our Biblical values, or we can sit under a shade tree and complain about the conditions of our country and why godliness is increasing.

I want to learn a lesson from Jonah! I don’t want to be swallowed by the great fish of communism! I don’t want to stand by while those who reject God, the Bible, liberty, and justice prevail. On Tuesday, November 3rd, I will carry my faith, my prayers, and my obedience into the voting booth and vote for the candidates and the initiatives that support life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and one Nation under God!

I pray you will too!

In Jesus’ Name!

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WHEN WORSHIP BECOMES PERFORMANCE…

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

AMOS 5:23-24: “Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” NLT

OBSERVATION: I love to worship! I look forward each week to the time our church family is gathered in corporate worship, and I can lift my voice in praise to the Lord. Yet, we all know that worship is so much more than a song service. Worship is our entire lives lifted as living sacrifices to the Lord.

Like the Israelites, we can sometimes forget this. In fact, worship in the church today has a tendency to be focused on the platform, performance, and the response of the crowd. It very often resembles a rock concert where the lead singer works to elicit a response from the crowd.

What begins as a focus on broken, contrite hearts becomes a focus on lighting, smoke machines, subwoofers, guitar riffs, and vocal performances. The crowd cheers as the band plays, but is this really worship? I wonder if Amos visited one of our churches today; would he write the word of the Lord saying,

“Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” (Amos 5:23 NLT)

There is nothing wrong with excellence in musical or vocal performance. In fact, if there is no baseline of competency, it distracts from being able to lift our voices in praise to the Lord. The Temple was filled with skilled musicians and singers. The issue comes when we focus more on the performance and the emotional response to this performance than on changed lives.

Everyone has experienced being moved emotionally by a song, a movie, or some art form. Yet, this does not equate to changed lives. One may weep, even come to the altar, but if there is no change in their lives, what is the purpose? As a pastor, I have seen the same individuals coming to the altar time after time, tears and hands lifted, with no apparent change in their lives. While I cannot judge someone’s heart, the Scriptures do seem to question this cycle.

Apparently, Israel had some rocking worship! It was filled with joy, exuberance, skilled musical ability, and participation. Yet, this is not what the Lord was looking for. As the prophet Isaiah writes, and as Jesus quoted,

“And so the Lord says, ‘These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT)

So what does the Lord desire in our worship? It is not our noisy hymns or praise or the music of our harps (guitars, organs, drums, etc.). What is it? David, a true worshipper of the Lord, tells us what God desires.

“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (Psalms 51:16-17 NLT)

Amos writes,

“Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” (Amos 5:24 NLT)

Micah writes,

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NLT)

A broken, contrite, changed heart is what God desires. It is the fruit of right living that is the sweetest song to His heart. A moment of emotional response can never be exchanged for a lifetime of obedience. When we go to worship on Sunday, it is not the performance or participation that is important. It is the response of the heart and the actions of our lives every day following.

We cannot change our hearts. Only God can. Yet, when we yield our hearts to Him in the sacrifice of praise (a broken and contrite heart), He does something the emotional stirring of a song can never do. He changes us from the inside out. He fills us anew with the Holy Spirit, and He gives us the grace to walk in an endless river of righteous living.

Heavenly Father, may my worship and praise never be about performance. May I bring to You my entire life as a living sacrifice. As I enter Your presence, change my heart, transform my life, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and grant me the grace to swim in the rivers of right living for Your glory!

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalms 19:12-14 NLT)

In Jesus’ Name!

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WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM A TREE?

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

HOSEA 14:8: “O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Trees are a very important part of our lives. Trees add beauty to our lives and create the very oxygen that we breathe. Trees provide many of the fruits and nuts that are part of a good diet. Trees also provide necessary habitats for countless species of wildlife.

The Biblical record begins with a tree, man’s redemption was purchased on a tree, and the provision for all eternity ends with a tree!

THE TREE OF BEGINNING…

“The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:9, 15-17 NLT)

THE TREE OF REDEMPTION…

“But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14 NLT)

THE TREE OF LIFE…

“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.” (Revelation 22:1-3 NLT)

God’s provision for mankind is filled with trees! It is a wonderful reminder that, as the prophet Hosea writes of the Lord, “…I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” All of our provision is from the Lord. Without Him we can do nothing. Without Him we can bear no fruit. Without Him our lives are but temporary vapors that pass away.

Yet, at His tree, the tree of Calvary, we meet the provision that bridges God’s creative purpose with God’s eternal purpose. It is at this tree that we find salvation through Jesus Christ and eternal provision for life in Him!

It gives you a different perspective on trees, doesn’t it? Each tree is a reminder of God’s love, mercy, grace, salvation, and provision. Each tree points to our Creator, celebrates our Redeemer, and crowns our Eternal King! God truly is like a tree that is always green, whose fruit meets all of our needs!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the Tree of Calvary that leads me to the Tree of Life! Without Jesus, I would have no access to this tree. Yet, in Christ I will enjoy a life of fruitfulness for all eternity. Help me to stop, look, and celebrate the beautiful trees that point me to You!

In Jesus’ Name!

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AM I WILLING TO PAY THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP?

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

DANIEL 3:16-18: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” NLT

OBSERVATION: What is the cost of discipleship? Am I willing to pay the cost? Would I continue to walk in faith if I never received another answer to my prayers? Would I continue to serve God if I faced the ultimate cost, laying down my life for my faith?

There is a current worship song that is popular today on the radio and in churches. The title of this song is ‘Trust In God ‘ by Elevation Worship. It is a catchy song, and there is a lot of the song that I agree with. However, when it gets to the bridge, this is where I struggle. The bridge goes,

I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered

I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered

I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered

That’s why I trust Him, that’s why I trust Him

It raises the question: Why do I trust the Lord? Do I trust the Lord each day because of what He does for me, or is my trust based on something much more important than that? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faced with this very question. As they faced the fiery furnace for refusing to worship the statue of Nebuchadnezzar, would they count the cost of discipleship?

Their answer to King Nebuchadnezzar begins with a wonderful statement of faith!

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.” Daniel 3:17 NLT

They did not waver in their belief in the power and ability of Jehovah God. They would not serve a false god and fully trusted in the power of God, who is always able to save. Yet, their faith and their obedience did not stop there. Would they still trust God if the outcome was different?

“But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:18 NLT

Their faith in God, their obedience to God, their willingness to count the cost of discipleship were not based on WHAT God would do for them. It was based fully and completely on WHO God was and WHO He declared Himself to be. Jehovah was the living God, the Creator of all things, the Holy One, the one who alone was to be praised. It was this belief that spurred their willingness to count the cost of discipleship.

In our consumer-focused mentality, we are willing to trust God for what He does for us. As the song says, “I trust the Lord and He heard and He answered…That’s why I trust Him.” The question is, what would we do if it appeared that He did not hear, that He did not answer? This was the possibility that confronted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and it is the possibility that each of us must face.

This does not mean we have a lack of faith in the power of God. It means that we do not presume upon the actions of God. Our trust in Him, our faith, and our obedience are not contingent upon what He does for me today or tomorrow. My faith must be grounded upon WHO He is and what He has said. It must be anchored upon the person and nature of God, not merely his actions.

“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV

I praise the Lord that he miraculously rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! I praise God for all the times He has miraculously rescued me. I pray continually for His miracle-working power in the lives of those I love. I believe that Jesus is our Savior, Healer, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and soon-coming King!. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yet, I don’t trust Him today because of what He will do for me tomorrow. I trust Him for what He did for me on the Cross of Calvary, which declares His love and commitment to me for all eternity!

Countless saints have gone before us, laying down their lives for their faith. Hebrews 11 gives us a balanced view of the cost of discipleship. Not everyone received a miraculous deliverance in this life, but everyone who believed received a good report of faith and the full blessings of eternal life in the life to come.

If I were to rewrite the bridge of ‘Trust In God’, it would go:

I praise the Lord for His cross and His mercy

I praise the Lord for His cross and His mercy

I praise the Lord for His cross and His mercy

That’s why I serve Him; that’s why I trust Him!

Until God calls me to heaven or Jesus returns, I will trust the Lord. I will always pray for God’s miraculous intervention in my life and the lives of others. I will contend for victory and healing. Yet, my trust in God will never be based on an answer to prayer. The Cross stands as my foundation of faith. The Cross declares once and for all God’s love, His commitment, and His faithfulness to me and His promises both in this life and the life to come!

Heavenly Father, there is no greater expression of Your love than the Cross of Jesus Christ. Grant me the mercy and grace to walk in the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the countless saints who lived before me. May I serve You and seek You, not for the provision of Your hand, but for Your glory! Help me to truly count the cost of discipleship!

In Jesus’ Name!

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IS GOD ANGRY AND VENGEFUL?

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

EZEKIEL 33:10-11: “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” NLT

OBSERVATION: I recently read an article about a pastor in Texas who is denying the Gospel, claiming Jesus did not die for our sins, and declaring that the God of the Old Testament was angry and vengeful, a god that no one would want to serve. This article appeared in my inbox at the same time I was reading the book of Ezekiel.

As you read the Bible, you can isolate passages that can prove almost anything. This is how cults begin and justify their existence. To be honest, if you read only selected portions of Ezekiel, it can appear that God is both angry and vengeful. Yet, if you read the Bible in its entirety and read the passages in context, you will discover how incorrect this assumption is.

So, how does a God of love also act as a God of judgment? Is there a dichotomy in God’s nature? A cursory reading can assume this is true. Yet, a careful reading will reveal the true nature of God.

God is, always has been, and always will be a God of love.

The problem we face in our culture is that we lack a clear understanding of what love is. To many, love is tolerance. Tolerance is love without standards. Tolerance is love without truth. It calls evil good and good evil. It cries out for the criminal while denying the rights of the victim. It approves all kinds of sin but passes final judgment on anyone who does not agree with its definition of love. The common phrase today is,

Love is love is love. But is it?

Love without wisdom, justice, and truth is really no love at all. To protect the criminal while leaving the vulnerable unprotected is not love; it is abuse. To stand for the rights of the born while ignoring the rights of the unborn, in the name of love, is evil. To ignore the Creator of the universe and create one’s own system of righteousness is not love; it is destructive foolishness.

God is love, but God is also holy! God created the world and every creature in it, including every man and woman who has walked the face of this earth. Men and women rejected God’s rule, knowing that to do so would incur God’s wrath against sin. God’s wrath against sin is not His lack of love for His creation. Rather, it is His love striving to protect His creation. Over and over again, we hear God’s heart as he pleads with man to repent and turn back to Him!

“…As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (Ezekiel 33:11 NLT)

God takes no pleasure in judgment. God’s heart is for salvation. Man continually rejects God’s heart and continues in his wickedness. When Noah lived, mankind was so evil and had moved so far away from God that God had to pour out His judgment on His creation to save it. Man was on the verge of destroying himself, and God intervened, saving Noah and his family to give mankind a second chance.

Then, God tried working through the nation of Israel. He revealed His nature and power, and gave them His Word. He dwelt with them and guided them to a land that was filled with milk and honey. As they followed God, they prospered. Yet, their story is our story. They continually forgot God’s mercy and love and began seeking other gods, desiring to be like all the nations around them. They left God’s covenant and brought judgment upon themselves.

God made a covenant with Noah and promised that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. God made a covenant with Abraham that through his descendants all the world would be blessed. Noah’s descendants wandered away from God. Abraham’s descendants wandered away from God. It seemed all was lost, and that only judgment awaited mankind once again. This is where we meet the most powerful expression of God’s nature and love.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 NLT)

When the only option remaining for man’s sin was judgment, God did what no one else would do. God came to His creation and took the full penalty of His wrath for sin upon Himself. Jesus, God incarnate, the Word made flesh, humbled Himself and became a man so He could bear the complete wrath of God for sin.

The cross was God’s answer to His justice.

Yet, it was also His declaration of His great love!

When someone is tempted to think that the God of the Old Testament is an angry God of vengeance, all they need to do is look at the Cross. There are not two Gods in the Bible. God never changed His desire for men and women to walk in the light of His love. Yet, men and women, incapable of doing so, continue to rush toward judgment. The God of the Old Testament, who declared His desire for men and women to live in righteousness, came to earth in the New Testament to make a way so that they could!

This is the Gospel, the Good News! This is the definition of Love!

This is God’s declaration of His love and the fulfillment of the text we quoted from Ezekiel. God does not want anyone to perish. Judgment is God’s strange work. The Cross is His declaration of love to the world and the pathway to live in the fullness of His love for eternity. At the Cross we are invited to exchange our sin, guilt, shame, and brokenness for His mercy, love, and forgiveness.

If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is!

Heavenly Father, there are so many today who are deceived by the world’s angry fist raised in defiance, proclaiming, “God is a God of vengeance!” Yet, louder than their words stands an ‘Old Rugged Cross’ and an ‘Empty Tomb’ that proclaim Your great love for all. Open the eyes of the blind to discover Your love and to believe in the free gift of Your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.“ (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

In Jesus’ Name!

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AM I HUMBLE OR STUBBORN?

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

1 PETER 5:5-7: “In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

OBSERVATION: Am I humble or stubborn? Each day, as I read God’s Word, I try to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Scriptures by illuminating a passage or a few words of the passage. It is like a divine ‘Stop’ sign. You have to stop, listen, and think before you can move on. This morning I stopped at these familiar verses in First Peter, chapter five, and I sensed the Holy Spirit asking me:

“Are you humble or stubborn?”

I had to stop and think about this for a while. I wanted to reply, “I am humble, Lord!” Yet, when I honestly look at my life, I realize this is not always the case. So, I began to pray. “What are You trying to say to me? As I read and re-read these three verses, over again, one phrase kept coming off the page.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

How many times have I cried out to God in my time of need, only to return to the Cross and pick up the heavy burden I laid down, trying to carry it again? The answer is, too many times to count. In fact, this is one of my lifelong struggles. I cast all my worries and cares on the Lord, but when His timing seems delayed, I pick them back up again.

In my impatience, I stubbornly decide God needs my help!

I need to ask myself this important question. “Does God really need my help?” The answer is obvious, but my actions make it look difficult to answer. Obedience is never easy, but it is never meant to be something I do on my own. Obedience begins when I realize that I have nothing left to move the mountain before me, and I humbly come to the Cross for grace and mercy.

It is easy to lay down my burden at first. The hard part is to leave it at the cross. This is the definition of true humility. It is not the initial recognition that I cannot do this on my own. It is the continued position of trust in the Lord and the refusal to go back, pick up the burden, and try to solve it once again on my own. This is stubbornness. This is the sin that plagued Israel time and time again. This is the sin that so easily trips us up.

And we always have someone trying to get us to pick up our burden again and again!

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)

A roaring lion is an old, tired lion. They no longer have the ability to kill on their own. The job of the ‘Roaring Lion’ is to roar, scare the prey, and entice them to run toward the young lions, who will kill them, feast, and then leave the leftovers for the roaring lion. The enemy of our souls is that roaring lion. He tries to get us to do the opposite of God’s commands. He is the one who continually says:

“God isn’t going to do anything for you! If you don’t fix this yourself, nothing will happen!”

The roaring lion always tries to get us to pick up our cares and burdens again. We turn from our humility and begin walking in stubbornness. It really is quite foolish when you think about it. But we all struggle with it. I am so thankful Peter does not stop here. He goes on to say:

“Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:9 NLT)

How do you stand firm against the enemy? You remain in a posture of humility. In other words, you refuse to pick up what you have entrusted to the Lord. You continue in prayer and surrender, and you make your heart ready to obey the Lord as He leads you. Humility is not inactivity. It is simply surrender. It is refusing to try to live life in our own power. It is placing our full trust in the Lord and obeying Him when He says:

“This is the way, walk in it!”

This call to humility comes with a promise. First, we are not alone! That brings me great comfort. I am not the only one struggling with the issues I am facing in my life. Believers all over the world are going through the same thing. The answer for me is the same as the answer for them.

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

As we give all our worries and cares to God, we are confident that He hears and is watching over all the concerns of our lives. God wants to bring His healing and help to our lives more than we want to receive them. This is where the promise comes into play. If we resist running away from our humility, if we resist the enemy and stay surrendered to the Lord, God gives us a wonderful promise.

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11 NLT)

Years ago, the Lord gave me a simple thought. ‘When you are at the point of utmost despair…don’t give up, for you are almost there!’ In other words, don’t run back to the Cross where you have laid down your heavy burden. Trust in the Lord! Yield to His timing! Obey His voice! Stand firm and realize the enemy has no real power. His only power is when we believe the roar more than God’s promise!

I choose to believe God’s promise!

Heavenly Father, this morning, I humble myself under Your loving and mighty hand. You know the concerns of my heart, things I try to carry, the issues I cannot solve or change. I confess that I need You! I run to the Cross and cast all these cares upon You, for I know You care for me. Now, grant me the grace to resist picking them back up again. Deliver me from the enemy (‘Roaring Lion’) and the pitfall of my stubbornness. Let me walk in humility with You each day! Put a song in my heart as I sing…

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

In Jesus’ Name!

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WILL THE NEXT GENERATION SURVIVE?

Posted on September 19, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal

1 PETER 4:18-19: “And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” NLT

OBSERVATION: What will happen to the ‘Next Generation’? Every generation must ask this question. My father belonged to the generation known as ‘The Greatest Generation.’ He lived during World War II. He and all five of his brothers served in the war. They were all willing to lay down their lives for the safety and survival of the ‘Next Generation.’

My generation, the ‘Baby Boomers,’ was born after this conflict. We grew up in a world that was prospering. The 1950s were a boom decade. The focus was on the nuclear family, owning a home, and building a better life for one’s children. There was a sense of community that does not exist today. Everyone on the street I grew up on knew each other. As neighbors, we were always gathering together for one reason or the other.

As I grew up, this sense of community faded, being replaced by a focus on self. The buzzword that still exists today is “What’s in it for me?” If I did not see anything of personal gain, I was not interested. This self-absorbed lifestyle has been passed on from generation to generation. Today, we live in our personal bubbles. We go to work, drive home, enter our homes, eat, watch TV, and never interact with our neighbors.

Is there any hope for the ‘Next Generation?’

The hope of the ‘Next Generation’ has always been determined by the life of God’s people. The hope of the world – the birth of the Savior, our redemption through the Cross of Jesus Christ – was entrusted to a small nation, chosen by God. God gave His Word and His Son to the Jewish nation. Through the obedience of a few, the salvation of the world would come!

This made me think about the Salmon. Salmon live most of their life in the ocean. Yet, when it comes time to give birth to the ‘Next Generation, ‘ Salmon, as a community, swim upstream in the harshest of conditions to find fresh water and the conditions needed to lay their eggs and give life to the ‘Next Generation.’ This is such a taxing responsibility that most Salmon give their life to complete the process!

Peter, in the closing verses of chapter four, gives us a call similar to the Salmon. First, he reminds us of the gravity of the call.

“And also, ‘If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?’” (1 Peter 4:18 NLT)

We cannot assume we can live our lives in a self-centered way and trust that the ‘Next Generation’ will be alright. Many adults view life as a struggle to achieve so they can kick back and relax during their retirement. The ‘Next Generation’ is someone else’s problem. I have done my part. Let them worry about the future!

Yet, Peter does not see it this way. We are called to engage the ‘Next Generation’ until the day we die or Jesus returns. We are called to keep our hands on the plow. When we are tempted to walk away from the field of life and give the responsibility to someone else, Peter’s words exhort us to remain faithful!

“So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” (1 Peter 4:19 NLT)

  • “But I’m tired!”
  • “Let someone else do it for a while!”
  • “It’s my time to rest!”
  • “The ‘Next Generation’ will have to take care of themselves!”

Imagine if the Salmon said the same thing.

  • “It’s too hard to swim upstream!”
  • “There will be enough who make it, so why do they need me?”
  • “I just want to stay in the comfortable ocean and play!”

Peter says, “…Keep on doing what is right!” Jesus has promised us every provision and blessing to finish strong. He will never fail me! It may be tough to carry on, but I must carry on. I must live my life in a way that is focused on the ‘Next Generation.’ I have been called with a purpose, and that purpose includes leading the ‘Next Generation’ to Jesus Christ!

I am who I am because of my father and my grandfather. Each one of them gave everything in their life so that I would be successful, know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord, and live a life that was better than the life they lived. My generation has failed to carry this calling forward in the same way. Yet, I must keep my focus, like the Salmon, and continue to swim upstream, giving all I have to make sure that my life will have an impact for the ‘Next Generation!’

“Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.“ (Psalm 145:3-4 NLT)

Heavenly Father, thank You for my father and my grandfather who were willing to give everything so that I could know Jesus and live an abundant life. Help me to walk in their footsteps and proclaim Your goodness to the next generation. Let me live a life that is focused on proclaiming Your goodness to the ‘Next Generation’ as long as I live or until You return!

Help me to…swim upstream, doing Your will…for the ‘Next Generation‘!

In Jesus’ Name!

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NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT!

Posted on September 16, 2026 by Kirk's Devotional Journal
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