Devotional Fuel to Reboot Your Mind

1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

What fears do you have? “If people are afraid, it is because of something in the past that haunts them, or something in the present that upsets them, or something in the future that they feel threatens them. Or it may be a combination of all three. A believer in Jesus Christ does not have to fear the past, present, or future, for he has experienced the love of God, and this love is being perfected in him day by day.” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Warren W. Wiersbe. Rest in God’s love for you. Call on Him. You are in His presence.

David frequently felt all alone, but God delivered him each time as he committed his fears to Him. David had many battles, triumphs, and tragedies. But he was a man after God’s own heart. His son, Absalom, plotted against him and tried to kill him to gain David’s throne. Yet God prevailed as David was brought good news, that God had delivered up the men that had tried to kill David. Then, the bad news was communicated. David’s son, Absolum, who had led the rebellion against David, was killed, and David’s throne was restored. 2 Samuel 18:33 states, “The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept.” David was heartbroken. God had stopped his son’s evil intent by taking his life. In Psalm 3, 35, 40, and 59, David asks God to protect and deliver him from his enemies. Psalm 35:1-4 states, “Fight my enemies, LORD! Attack my attackers! Shield me and help me. Aim your spear at everyone who hunts me down, but promise to save me. Let all who want to kill me be disgraced.” Contemporary English Version. God answered that prayer of David’s. Any parent can understand David’s heartache and love he had for his son Absolum, despite him not deserving it.

Romans 8:15 declares, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba Father!” You can be bold in His love and perfected in that love. The Amplified Bible says 1 John 4:18 this way, “There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].” You are being perfected in God’s love. Ask Him to give you an understanding of what He desires you to do. God has given you a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:17). Those fears you have. They are not from Him. Ask God to saturate you with the truth from His Word as you read it, memorize it, and pray through scripture promises. It will renew, permeate, and transform your mind. If you are a visual learner, as I am, journaling helps you to remember what the Holy Spirit is teaching you, guiding you, directing you, and helping you to go deeper into your study of Scripture. Penetrate your thoughts with truth from God’s Word and let it permeate, saturate, and cast out fears.

“Regardless of what the doctor may say, what the IRS may declare, or who wins the election – when you are sure of God’s love for you, you don’t have fear.” Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, 1 John 4:18, page 1630. Isn’t that timely? Permeate and saturate yourself in God’s love as you ask Him to fight your enemies, shield you, and rest in His abundant love as being His child (Romans 8:16).

Listen to I Speak Jesus – Charity Gayle (Lyrics) video.

1 John 3:21-24, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

What would be God’s agenda for your day today? Think about that for a few minutes. As we set out to pray over our day, we need to ask ourselves if we are praying for the things that are on God’s heart for our family, friends, and work. If we are in close fellowship with God and living as His child in honoring Him in obedience, He will lead us to ask for the things that are on His heart as we take up His agenda with our requests. Be aware intercession has been going on for you. Our prayers need to be more than a checklist, as He is our executive planner by the Holy Spirit whom He has given to us.

Do we (I) pray with the Holy Spirit’s leading and His heart instead of (my) our predetermined ideas? That takes some thought to ponder. “Perhaps the fundamental difference between our prayer lists and the prayer concerns we find in the Bible is that we pray about personal problems, while most of the biblical prayers focus on Christ’s purposes. Worship-based prayers set the foundation for something other than “me” prayers, because they start with a “Thee” focus. This changes the nature of how we pray.” Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson, page 87. Take a few minutes to think about what the Holy Spirit is leading you to pray about or for? Ask Him.

What activities, projects, communication, and daily interactions do you need to be more Spirit-led? The Holy Spirit is your ultimate executive planner who directs, personally advises, counsels, and brings God’s Word of truth to renew and transform your mind (Romans 12:2) as you read and meditate upon it, thus enabling you to apply God’s Word to your needs.

“When our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts. He knows all things. He knows we are made of dust, that we make promises we can’t keep, and that we are bound to fall and fail. Yet He also knows that we are His and that He has a glorious plan for our lives. The One who knows us best loves us most.” Jon Courson, Application Commentary, New Testament, Heart Attacks, 1 John 3:20, page 1628. Ask God what is on His agenda for your day today as you look to Him as your executive planner who knows the past, the present, and the future. Stay faithful. Believe in the Lord and love His people. Watch God move in your direction.

Listen to Come Jesus Come with string quartet Lyric Video. Stephen McWhirter.

1 John 3:6-8, “No one who abides in him keeps sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

Picture God saying this verse over you. How would it fit what you are seeing and going through around you? He who is truly born again doesn’t sin habitually and continually. But those that are not will. John 8:31 states, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This verse shows that those who continue to trust and obey in faith in obedience to Christ are truly His disciples. Jesus himself is the source of truth, freeing us from Satan’s deception. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

The enemy will try and confuse you. Jesus was never confused. He fought back with the Word of God. We have the helmet of salvation for our protective armor. “When you put on this helmet, you put on the assurance of your own salvation, and you protect your mind from Satan’s deceptions with the wisdom of God . . . The wisdom of God equips and prepares you for God’s purposes. It strengthens you in the certainty of your salvation as you can overcome confusion, falsehood, and uncertainty with the God-given confidence that comes through Christ alone. You can live the same kind of life of confidence that our Lord lived.” Overcomer. 8 Ways to Live a Life of Unstoppable Strength, Unmovable Faith, and Unbelievable Power. Dr. David Jeremiah. Page 125.

In the end, we know who wins – Jesus Christ. The very people who crucified Jesus Christ, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34. Christ Jesus asked God to forgive those that were putting Him to death. God answered that prayer by opening up the way of salvation to His unjust accusers and murderers. As we live amongst sinners, shine the righteous light of the gospel that lives inside you. Do not be deceived. Do not be confused. Keep on keeping on doing what you know is right. Let your integrity speak loudly, showing that righteousness is an action that should be engaged in our day-to-day lives by faith. Nothing is too complicated in your life for Christ to overcome.

Remember, those that have not accepted Christ as their Saviour, don’t know what they are doing. Paul stated to the Christians at Ephesus, in Ephesians 4:17-18, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles [unsaved] do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from their life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” Reflect the righteousness of Christ and behave like Christ did. Speak Scripture verses to yourself to renew your mind and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the truth and it will set you free from the chains of sin. You have the unfair advantage. The unsaved do not.

Listen to Hold On – Katy Nichole – Lyric Video

1 John 3:2, “Beloved, we are God’s children, now and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Can you imagine never being sick or aging again? What about being continually filled by the Holy Spirit as you walk the streets in Heaven? That is our destiny. Our full potential will not be fulfilled until we leave this earth. “If I may use such an expression, this is not the time for the manifestation of a Christian’s glory. Eternity is to be the period for the Christian’s full development, and for the sinless display of his God-given glory. Here, he must expect to be unknown; it is in the hereafter that he is to be discovered as a son of the great King.” (Spurgeon). As a child of God, I am the daughter of God, the great King, who will, in Heaven, be given to display my God-given glory without any weaknesses and sins. More and more, I long for that day!

How is God transforming you this week to be more like Jesus? Have you encountered some unpleasant circumstances? As it says in Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” It is a lifelong process. I believe we will still have our character and personality in heaven, but we will be perfected into Christ’s image of perfection. Can you imagine there will no longer be anything to criticize you for, be mistakenly blamed for, or any health issues in heaven? And that is only the beginning because there will be so much more!

Seeing Jesus is the greatest expectant happening in our life. There is so much corruption in our world today going on. Every day, there are new headlines about another crime committed and many other atrocities where good is evil and evil is promoted as good. But we have God’s promise in Revelation 22:12-13, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Is it time yet? Hold onto Matthew 24:44’s promise from God, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

As Paul emphasized this same message to Titus in Titus 2:12-13, this is how we are to live, in preparation of Christ’s return as we watch and wait and wonder, “is it time yet?”, “Training us to renounce ungodliness, and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age [2023], waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our Great God and Jesus Christ.” So put up your shield of faith – your offensive weapon – as you recite or read God’s Word of truth filling up your soul, human spirit, and mind, as you also wonder, “is it time yet?” Build up His kingdom.

Listen to I Speak Jesus – Charity Gayle, Lyric Video, 2 months ago.

1 John 3:1, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Do you fully realize God’s love for you? You are a child of God. That is who you are and whose you are. Jesus said to the disciples, after washing their feet in John 13:12, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” Look at what John says in 1 John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” Think about that the next time an argument or conflict arises. Your self-worth is based on the fact that God loves you and you are His child. He knows your name (Isaiah 43:1). Be that reflection of whose you are.

In 1 John 2, John talks about the importance of abiding in God. God created everything. God owns all that you have. When you believed in his name, He gave you the right to become children of God, as John 1:13 declares. God gave you the right to become a part of His family.

 We are to abide – continue, dwell, endure, remain, stand, tarry, and pursue Him throughout our whole day. What happens when we don’t? Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9b-10, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip had been with Jesus as an apostle for two or three years. Where was his faith, we might wonder? Philip had seen Jesus do many miracles. “His earthbound thinking, his materialism, his skepticism, his obsession with mundane details, his preoccupation with business details, and his small-mindedness had shut him off from a full apprehension of whose presence he had enjoyed.” Twelve Ordinary Men. How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You.” John MacArthur, p. 133. We all have unfortunately been like Philip sometime in our life. I admit I have been just as guilty at times. Sit, tarry, remain, continue in His presence as you go about your tasks. Sometimes we need to slow our minds down and think about enjoying the fact that we have a heavenly Father that wants the best for us just as we want the best for our children.

Remember what He has done for you when you need to feel God’s love. Tell Him what you need and ask Him to open your eyes to His great love for you despite your weaknesses as you rely on Him to fulfill those needs. See His love for you with fresh eyes. Continue in God’s presence. He gives angels charge over you (Psalm 91). Stand strong in your defender’s protective love. Who you are is because of whose you are.

1 John 2:24-25, “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us – eternal life.”

We have the constant residence of being in the presence of God the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 8:31, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Synonyms for the word abide would be continue, dwell, endure, remain, stand, and tarry (An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. W.E. Vine). As I dwell on God’s Word renewing my mind, I am tarrying – abiding – in being in the presence of Jesus Christ, which will fill me with peace and joy as I share my highs and lows with Him and seek His guidance. 1 John 2:6 declares, “Whoever says he abides in him ought also to walk in the same way he walked.”

Let’s look at the Message’s version of 1 John 2:24-25, “Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life!” Then the NLT states it this way: “So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.” “A Christian who spends time daily in the Bible and in prayer will walk in the Spirit and have the discernment he needs.” Warren Wiersbe.

Think about living out who abides in you and you in Him. What does that look like? It is an intellectual understanding and an experiential steadfast standing in what Christ has done for you and growing in your relationship, never abandoning the fundamental truths about Jesus Christ. As you grasp promises from His Word into your heart and mind, having it actively transform your mind so you can fight with your Spiritual armor day by day, one step at a time, you will abide in the Son and in the Father.

In John 13:12, after washing their feet, Jesus says to his disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” They were to serve God, serve each other, and serve people with whom they would share the message of salvation. Focus on Christ and not on the pressure(s) you are facing right now. Continue, dwell, endure, remain, stand, and tarry in His presence. Abide in God’s Word. Remember Jesus’s words in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Persevere today in abiding in Christ despite all of the world’s calamities going on around you. Believe the truth found in God’s Word that the Holy Spirit is teaching you what you need. Use it to dispel all lies tempting you to be discouraged. Keep your focus and gaze on Him. “Just as it has taught you, abide in him.” 1 John 2:27b.

Listen to The Jesus Way by Phil Wickham (Official Lyric Video) 3 months ago.

1 John 2:20, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”

Do you realize you have the empowering work of the Holy Spirit within you? It is not something magical or something to be caught in a second step. From the time of salvation onward, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the truth in Jesus Christ. He illuminates your mind and your spirit with spiritual insight from reading God’s Word. Need more of this knowledge in applying it to a problem? Ask for it. Your anointing doesn’t come and go. It is permanent and remains in you (1 John 2:27).

• “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” The person speaking here is the Messiah – Jesus Christ. Isaiah 61:1. Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1 in Luke 4:14-30 and proclaims He is the fulfillment of this prophecy.
• “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Are you having a problem with discouragement recently? Have your concerns caused you to be dismayed? You are not alone. If you look out over a crowd, most are also experiencing hard things in their life too. There may be things you have no idea about that are also happening inside them. Take the time to pick someone out. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to someone who needs your encouragement. Once you have found that person, ask them what is on their heart that is weighing them down. Pray for their need while sitting or standing next to them.

I often feel impatient when something goes wrong at work or in a relationship. Resentment takes hold, I start to feel all alone, and feelings of bitterness move in instead of dwelling on the eternal, all-sufficient, good, excellent, mighty, fair, and just God holding the whole world in His hands. Once again, I don’t need more faith. I need more of the Father.

Be aware the enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy your joy. When you lose your patience, is it because of a fleshly grief or something that would grieve the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 4:30 warns, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” When something upsets you within your family, work, or a specific situation, ask first if this situation is grieving you only or is grieving the Spirit inside of you. Remember, Jesus came to serve others. Some things are just out of your control. Lift the burden onto the Lord. You are anointed by the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you to do what Jesus would want you to do as you seek Him with all your heart, soul, and mind (Jeremiah 29:13). Then ask what He wants you to learn from this. Is there something you need to ask His forgiveness for? Then let it go. Remember, you are an anointed child of God. Use the knowledge given to you by the Holy Spirit. Follow Jesus. Serve others as you seek to bless those in your sphere of influence God has given you. Be led by the Spirit in everything you think about, actions, and conversations. Ask for His guidance and use the knowledge He has given you as you abide in Him. Jesus is a righteous, wise, and loving judge. Be like Jesus and stay focused upon Him. Each of us is accountable for our own actions before Christ. Speak back truth to yourself from God’s Word that you have asked Him for, when you feel weighed down, and it will renew your mind.

You are anointed, and your position is in Christ, so you have the advantage. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. Follow Jesus. Trust and rely on Him. He is and will be with you. You have the advantage.

Listen to Phil Wickham -The Jesus Way (Official Lyric Video).

1 John 2:17, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

All problems have an ending. They just do. But there are two things in life that do not have an ending. They are eternal: 1.) Salvation; 2.) Eternity after this life. John said, “the world is passing away.” David Guzik Commentary makes a profound statement: “No one drives through the gates of heaven with a moving van filled with the stuff of this world. It is true: The world is passing away.” 2 Corinthians 4:17b states, “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Circumstances and material possessions are temporary, eternal values are not.

What will never disappear is your standing or position in Christ here on this earth.

• God knows your name. Isaiah 43:1.
• God goes before you and is presently with you. He will never leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8.
• You are a treasured possession of God, and you belong to the family of God – a royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9.
• Jesus is at the right hand of God and is interceding (effective intervention) for you. Romans 8:34.
• The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. Ephesians 1:18-20.

Keep on keeping on doing the will of God. Put your attention on those things. Keep your mind focused on the Lord Jesus Christ and seeing His face. As you go about your day today, think about what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Who does He want you to reach out to? What words of Scripture is He bringing up to your mind to remember during the various circumstances that are occurring throughout your day? You don’t need more faith. You need more of the Father.

The enemy will put roadblocks in your way. They are normally temporary and purposeful distractions. Don’t let him distract you which will result in guilt, shame, frustration, and feelings of failure – self condemnation which then falls into discouragement. The word “dismayed” appears 31 times in the Bible – “be not dismayed.” Fight back with the promises of God. “Satan wants to keep the truth from being spread. He will do all he can to squelch the passions of proclaiming that Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life, due to discouragement!” Eliminating The Greener Grass Trap. Quitting The Habit Of Comparisons, Linda Killian, 2020, page 61. Remember Isaiah 41:10 as one example: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God upholds the past, the present, and the future.

The Message states today’s verse this way: “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out – but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” You are all set!

Listen to Ben Fuller – If I Got Jesus (Lyric Video)

1 John 2:13-14, “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you; and you have overcome the evil one.”

What stage of spiritual growth would you categorize yourself as being in? That is what John is writing about as he was symbolically using the words children, young men, and fathers. In verse 14a, “fathers” have to do with having a deep, genuine, and experiential relationship with Jesus Christ. These would be mature men and women, growing and seeking Jesus Christ in all they do. Each stage in the Christian life builds upon each other and grows deeper in maturity in Christ.

John repeats himself in 1 John 2:13-14a for a reason. “Paul in his letter to the Philippians, could say that he counted all his previous spiritual achievements as rubbish, compared to the surpassing greatness of just knowing Jesus. That I may know Him is the powerful way Paul phrased it in Philippians 3:10.” Blue Letter Bible Commentary, David Guzik. His goal was to become more like Christ as he grew in his own faith. This is a continuing theme in 1 John of knowing Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our Advocate (1 John 2:1b-2), our defense lawyer. Being able to recite God’s Word is our sword to fight against the one falsely accusing us before God (Revelation 12:10) and applying it. Satan condemns but the Holy Spirt imparts loving conviction. We need to distinguish between the two. It requires being submissive to the Father, following Jesus’s example in defeating the Enemy. Note these three examples.

• “When Jesus said, “It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” His implication was, “therefore I will not turn stones to bread, but will live by God’s Word.” (see Matthew 4:4).
• “When Jesus said, “It is written that thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,” His implication was, “therefore I will not jump off this pinnacle and tempt My Father to save me” (see, Matthew 4:7).
• “When Jesus said, “It is written that thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,” His implication was, “therefore, I won’t bow down to you, but will worship My Father exclusively.” (see Matthew 4:10). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, New Testament.

Do you feel like you are on the front line in something you are going through? That is the role of a mature soldier. Whatever stage you are at in your Christian life and physical age, God has you there for a purpose: to shine the light He has put inside you. Use it. Follow what His Word says to do. Seek Him. There are many principles out there promoting how to have success in life. But as you mature in your relationship with the Lord, it will become clearer that Jesus is the anchor to hold onto, nothing else and no one else. Seek the one who is the great I AM that has enabled you to overcome much because you know the Father. The Word of God abides in you. Hold onto that truth. Shine the light that is inside you, and it will inspire others. What are you waiting for? What verse will you use today for His glory? Get ready to apply it, put it into action, and you will inspire others to do the same.

Listen to King & Country’s new song, What Are We Waiting For? (The Single) Official Lyric Video.