Devotional

 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:13) The five volcanos that make up the Big Island of Hawaii create a challenging course for the mini-triathlon I do each year. My favorite part is the first and shortest segment of the race, a 1/3 mile ocean swim. Once out of the water, I race barefooted to my gear station to don socks, shoes, helmet and sunglasses, and off I go to tackle the longest segment of the race, the 15-mile bike ride. The biking is 7.5 miles out and back. The first part of the ride is enjoyable with stunning ocean views. At mile six, the road turns in toward the mountain and begins the climb to 191 feet. I think about how hard this hill will be when I face it again on the way back. A devilish whisper suggests, “Turn back now. You

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 1 TIMOTHY 4:7 A dear friend of mine was an ice dancer and spent countless hours on the ring doing the same four-minute routine again and again. I noticed that others would even break down the free dance and do a specific lift or jump that may only be 10 seconds long, dozens of times. Why? Because amateurs train until they get it right, while professionals train until they can’t get it wrong. The question before us today is, “Are we amateur Christians who do just enough to get by, or are we professional Christians who train ourselves to be godly?” To train ourselves in godliness takes three things: knowledge, practice, and coaching. Obviously, the most logical place to gain knowledge about godliness is through the study of God’s Word. But we can

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 PETER 1:3 I have to giggle each week as we begin our First Place 4 Health class. Everyone steps up to the scale, taking off as much clothing as possible while mumbling over and over under their breath the memory verse they are about to quote. Recently, this verse in 2 Peter 1:3 challenged me, and the Lord had me share this fact with the class. After all, isn’t this why we come together, to be encouraged as we share the good, the bad, and the Godly of our journey to live a balanced life? The verse said, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness,” and immediately a thought came: So why am I not reaching my goals? It surely wasn’t

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. PROVERBS 14:29 One of the most common reasons people give up on exercise is a lack of immediate results. It takes time for change to take place in our bodies. Developing patience with and proficiency in the area of exercise may be one of the biggest challenges for us, but it is well worth the effort. I recall one dear lady in my class in Charleston, South Carolina, who had decided she was going to work diligently at her commitment to exercise. She walked faithfully every day for one week, and when she got on the scale to see how much weight she had shed, she had stayed the same. She immediately began to cry and said, “It’s no use—I am just going to quit. I won’t be back next week.” We all have had the same experience.

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. PROVERBS 19:11 What an experience to be a landlord! We just evicted renters for the first time. They left the house in a huge mess! Trash was piled in each room, including the garage. Unwanted furniture littered the rooms, and the carpets were incredibly dirty. The filth on the floors, cabinets, and counters took many cleanings. The tenants even removed and ruined the garage door to get their belongings out. The job seemed to be more than my husband, and I could manage on our own. A sense of hopelessness overwhelmed us. But as I started to work, I began to feel hopeful, knowing that the hard work would be rewarded with a clean, livable house once again. It would not happen on this day, or even after two or three days of hard work,