April 2022 – Be The Dads – Your kids, Your wife, and this world needs.

Love Slows Down – Day 5

As I went looking for our next devotional about dads, I found this one named “Love Slows Down” by Joël and Jonathan Malm. In a world where we see so much of a desire or need for instant gratification the topic of slowing down is interesting. In a world where everyone is busy and always on the go the topic of slowing down is intriguing. Today’s devotional draws us in with the statement “We were made from love, made for love, and are called to live in God’s love.” Today’s devotional is based on the book “Love Slows Down” by author Joël Malm. Looking to learn more about the book, it speaks to how packed it is with truth, guidance, and spiritual wisdom. This devotional will carry us through a week as it is a 7-day devotional. Its introduction shares how it will help us slow down and trade in anger, anxiety, and hurry for life with God’s love! I’m excited to get to see where we go.

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ‘
Proverbs 4:23

‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’
Ephesians 4:32

God knows what we need even before we ask, so let’s be the dads who ask! Let’s be the dads that seek so that we can find it! Let’s be the dads who knock so that the doors will be opened! God’s Word never returns void! God’s Word will meet us right where we are at and speak to us the wisdom we have need to press in and press on, to get up and stand firm!

Let’s be dads who guard our hearts as we read in God’s Word! Let’s be the dads who continually make sure our hearts and our head align! Let’s be the dads who know to be true is what’s setting the direction of our hearts. Let’s be the dads who Focus On Jesus! Let’s be the dads who Identify The Lies That Surround Us! Let’s be the dads who Reject What Is Not True! Let’s be the dads who Remember Our Identity! Let’s be the dads who Continually Remind Ourself Of What’s True! Let’s be the dads who realize it’s not a one-and-done thing but rather something we do to continue to make sure our hearts are in a healthy state! Let’s be the dads who never forget that we are in a spiritual battle and as such will come under continuous attack and as such need to continue to guard our hearts because everything we do flows from it! Let’s be the dads who are vigilant and grab hold of the importance and urgency that comes from the message “Above all else” to guard our hearts for everything we do flows from it!

Let’s be the dads who are kind! Being kind is unnatural for us, everybody is challenged by it, and so it is something we need to decide and choose to do! Let’s be the dads who are staying connected to God so that He is able to produce the fruit of the Spirit of kindness in and through our lives! Let’s be the dads who are expressing kindness to other human beings for it is more important than rituals and sacrifices (Hosea 6:6; Matt 9:13; 12:7)! Let’s be the dads who “love kindness (Mic6:8)”! Let’s be the dads who are “exhibiting his kindness and mercy (Luke 6:35-36)”! Let’s be the dads who demonstrate kindness by acting and living “gently and considerately” imitating Jesus’ actions!

Let’s be the dads who are compassionate for we know that compassion “fuels acts of kindness and mercy“! Let’s be the dads who are “aroused within us when we are confronted with those who suffer or are vulnerable” and show compassion! Let’s be the dads who act because of our desire to alleviate the suffering, and don’t allow something like geographical distances or lack of means to prevent us from acting upon our compassionate feelings! Let’s be the dads who are so interested in being God’s hands extended that we are willing to dig deeper and study God’s Word including what words in the Hebrew align to our English words like compassion which allows us to discover information like:

The Hebrew (hamal [חָמַל], rachuwm [רַחוּם]) and Greek (splanchnisomai [σπλαγχνίζομαι]) words sometimes translated as “compassion” also bear a broader meaning such as “to show pity, ” “to love, ” and “to show mercy.” Other near synonyms for compassion in English are “to be loved by, ” “to show concern for, ” “to be tenderhearted, ” and “to act kindly.”
Compassion Definition and Meaning – Bible Dictionary (biblestudytools.com)

Let’s be the dads who look to mirror compassion as God shows it! Let’s be the dads who give compassion freely (Exod 33:19; Rom 9:15) and tenderly (Isa 49:15; Ho 11:8)!

Let’s be the dads who practice forgiveness just as Jesus forgave us! Let’s be the dads who follow God’s command to forgive others! We know from the Bible God’s forgiveness can be summarized like this:

Let’s be the dads who take seriously that God wants us to forgive others! Let’s be the dads who take seriously that when someone hurts us, we are under an obligation to God to forgive that person as Jesus commands in Matthew 6:14-15 where it says: ‘ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ‘ I remember as part of my story on forgiveness how after forgiving others God brought this scripture to mind in the statement “as you forgive others, I will forgive you” and how I started to ask God for forgiveness because He had been telling me to forgive for months at that point and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding came upon me and the sadness, anger, and bitter were taken away!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Let It Go“

Let’s be the dads who are paying attention and giving to God the past because we know that if we don’t deal with and free ourselves from the past, it can trickle into our present and future and mess things up!
Today’s devotional speaks to King Solomon’s words that we find in today’s scripture from Proverbs and shares how for us to have pure love we need to have a pure heart!
Let’s be the dads who don’t allow things like “offense, betrayal, disappointment, or failure” “taint the pure waters of our hearts and leave us jaded and cynical“!
Let’s be the dads who deal with things immediately rather than letting them stew, brew, and take root in our hearts because “the longer we hold on to the offenses, the more tainted the waters will be“!
Let’s grab hold of what King Solomon said in Proverbs and “above all else, guard our hearts”!
Let’s be the dads who choose to keep anything that could taint our hearts from being and staying pure!
Today’s devotional shares about a trip into the wilderness and the importance to the team’s health was making sure the drinking water was clean and so being prepared they brought “a really expensive, top-of-the-line water purification filter” that “removes pretty much anything in the water that can harm you” and the need to not just do it once but repeat continuously just as on the trip “Every night the team sits around in a circle and we take turns pumping pure water for the next day.“
Let’s be the dads who purify the content of our hearts daily!
Let’s be the dads who filter what we allow into our hearts in order to keep out little offenses so that they can’t build up!
Let’s be the dads who filter what we allow into our hearts in order to keep out little offenses so that they can’t “taint the clear, flowing streams of our hearts“!
Let’s be the dads who forgive quickly for that is the filter that will help keep the flow from our hearts clean!
Let’s be the dads who forgive quickly in order to clear out the hurt, the anger, and the bitterness!
Let’s be the dads who can let it go!
Let’s be the dads who are ready and willing to do the hard work of forgiving others who hurt us or mistreat us!
Let’s be the dads who realize it is better for us to forgive than to allow the anger, bitterness, and frustration to take root and poison our lives!
Let’s be the dads who daily decide to forgive when someone hurts us!
Let’s be the dads who daily decide to forgive when someone mistreats us!
Let’s be the dads who can release others from what they have done to us!
If you start a debate with yourself about fairness or justice, consider if it was fair or just for Jesus to be crucified between two thieves after having been beaten, abused, and mocked.
Let’s be the dads who take after Jesus’ example where “He forgave us before we even knew we needed it.“
Let’s be the dads who are obedient to Jesus who asks us to do the same!
As I learned in my story of forgiveness (just under 9min YouTube video), forgiveness is the key to freedom!
Let’s grab hold of what today’s devotional has to say in its closing:
- “The good news is, forgiveness actually sets you free. It’s been said that forgiveness is letting the prisoner free and then realizing you were the one behind bars. Forgiveness helps you release anger and resentment. If you really want to live in God’s love, choose to let go of hurt and anger and open your hands to receive His grace to forgive.“

Love Slows Down – Day 4

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

‘Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘
Matthew 22:37-39

‘So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘
Matthew 6:31-33

Ever realized how alive God’s Word is? Ever found how God’s Word meets you right where you are at? As I was getting my day started I was thinking about the and wondering about this day and how to finish the week strong and on a high note so that next week will be able to start stronger and the quotes and thoughts that came to mind align with today’s devotional’s verses.

Let’s be the dads who slow down out of love! Let’s be the dads who put love as our top priority! Let’s be the dads who love the Lord your God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds! Let’s be the dads who make this our top priority! Let’s be the dads who continue to seek to put God’s will first and as such choose to love others as Jesus commanded when He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s be the dads who love God, love our wives, love our kids, and love those God has brought into our lives as our neighbors!

Let’s be the dads who are trusting God so much that we aren’t living a life of worry that would rob us of all God has planned, prepared, and wills for our lives! Rather than worrying, let’s be the dads who cast our worry, anxiety, and care upon God because we know that He cares for us! Let’s be the dads who aren’t stuck worrying about things like food, drinks, and clothes! Let’s be the dads who are focusing on God and His plans and purposes for our lives! Let’s not be chasing after the material things of this world but rather are pursuing God, God’s plans, God’s purposes, and God’s will for our lives! Let’s not be caught in the snares of the devil who is tricking this world into believing they need all these things that will not last and instead be focused on the things that will last! God knows what we need even before we ask, so let’s choose to be the dads who are walking out of our lives trusting in Him and living in a relationship with Him so that we can ask, seek, and knock and know that God has our best in mind! So to do this, let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness trusting, believing, and knowing that then God will take care of everything else! Let’s be the dads who are focused on making the most out of today rather than worrying about tomorrow because tomorrow will have enough to worry about on its own, let’s focus on today because each day has enough trouble of its own!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Create Space“

Let’s be the dads who don’t load up worry on our backs but rather cast our cares on God because He cares for us!
Let’s consider the quote from today’s devotional from Marcus Felix that says: “A traveler is happier the lighter his load“
Are you overburdening yourself by trying to carry too much around with you on your walk today?
Let’s be the dads who remember what Jesus offered us in regards to His burden and His yoke?
- “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:30
Let’s be the dads who take inventory of what we are carrying around with us!
Let’s be the dads who take inventory of the burdens and cares we are carrying around with us and decide which we will carry and which we will cast on God because He cares for us!
Let’s be the dads who take inventory of the yoke we are carrying and consider the reality that we could trade that weight and that work for what Jesus has prepared, planned, and offered us!
Let’s be the dads who are taking inventory of what we are carrying so that we can ensure that we make this journey called life “a lot more enjoyable“!
Let’s be the dads who take inventory so that we can reflect on and get rid of the things we don’t need to be carrying around with us!
Let’s be the dads who take inventory so that we don’t carry things we think we will need and instead only choose to carry the things we do need!
Let’s be the dads who trust God and rather than overloading our backpack of life with “things we think will give us security, connection, and control”, we choose to bring what God says we need so that we aren’t carrying more than we should and finding “the weight on our shoulders getting heavier and heavier“!
Let’s be the dads who trust God rather than getting ourselves to the point where “we get tired and angry and frustrated“.
Let’s be the dads who realize we are human and so are limited in this place and as such “can only carry so much“.
Let’s be the dads who realize the finiteness of this life on earth and make sure we aren’t focusing on the wrong things and as such don’t worry about the “time, money, and energy” but instead choose “to slow down and take a look at what we’re carrying“.
Ever seen those priority grids where you have importance vs urgency? Ever consider what is good versus what is important?
As today’s devotional points out: “We may have to leave some good things behind to make room for the most important things. “
So you’ve taken inventory…
What’s your answer to the question: “What do I bring with me in my bag for life?“
As we reflect on this, let’s be the dads who grab hold of what God’s Word tells us!
As we consider what we need to bring on this journey called life, let’s trust God and take hold of what He has told us through today’s verses.
Is the reality that you have too many rocks in your backpack of life causing you to feel weighed down and keeping you from being able to live your life in alignment with God’s plans and purposes!
Today’s devotional closes with three incredible paragraphs:
- “Jesus boiled what’s most important down to two things: 1) Love God 2) Love people. (Matt. 22:37) In that order. Our top priority should always be giving our best resources to God and then to people. That’s what God values. When we give our best to what He values, it will lead to peace and joy and fulfillment. “
- “In today’s verse, Jesus said He knows we’re worried about what we’ll wear and eat—our security, connection, and control—but He says that if we want all those things to be fulfilled we need to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We get what we need most by seeking what God wants—seeking His order. Which means there might be some good things we need to leave behind to love Him and those people He has given us in our life—our spouse, our kids, our family, our church community. “
- “If giving the best of your time, money, and energy to God and people feels like a burden, then it might be time to take some things out of your bag. Let go of the good to make room for the best—what God says is most important. You can be certain that when you seek His Kingdom first it will cause the anger, anxiety, and frustration to lessen. And He will provide everything you need. “
Let’s be the dads who take inventory of what we are carrying around with us and get rid of the stuff that shouldn’t be there so that we can give the best of our time, money, and energy to God and people!
Let’s be the dads who let go of the good in order to make room for the best – what God tells us is most important!
Let’s be the dads who put God first, our wives second, our kids third, and allow God to help us manage everything else and allow us to live lives where “the anger, anxiety, and frustration to lessen“!

Love Slows Down – Day 3

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Ephesians 4:31-32

‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’
Ephesians 4:31-32

Ever felt stuck and weren’t sure why? Ever felt down and wondered if there was anything you could do about it? Ever felt like you were stuck on a downward spiral and wondered what to do? God’s Word is filled with wisdom and direction for us. God’s Word points us to the things that cause us to feel stuck. God’s Word points us to things that drag us down. God’s Word calls us to stop and look up to Him and cry out to God rather than continuing to fall on a downward spiral. So let’s be the dads who turn to God quickly when we feel stuck. Let’s be the dads who turn to God quickly when we feel down. Let’s be the dads who look up and cry out to God when we are spiraling out of control. Let’s be the dads who receive His instruction, direction, and plan in obedience rather than turning our back on Him and getting stuck, feeling down, or spiraling out of control! I remember challenging God about forgiveness when some people hurt me and it wasn’t till years later that I discovered others were hurt too and that had I been thinking about others more than myself I wouldn’t have started my own pity party. At the moment God has prompted me to forgive and I had more excuses and reasons why I shouldn’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t. That was the beginning of getting stuck and allowing a bitter root to take hold in my heart. That was the beginning of allowing rage and anger to take hold of my heart and mind. That was the beginning of the downward spiral and it took nearly hitting rock bottom for me to look up and cry out to God and obey. Let’s hear God and obey Him! Let’s do it His way rather than suffering through it in our own way. Let’s go through what we have to go through with Him rather than on our own! I have had the opportunity to share my story with the people who were around me at the time as God kept bringing people who needed to forgive across my doorway and I had to tell them they needed to forgive first. I’ve even gotten to share the story with a group of coworkers as part of a Story Slam event that was put on to help people get to know each other as the company was growing. (Sharing as a link rather than embedded so that only those who want to spend the extra 10 minutes have to have the space on the screen taken up.) The key is that God’s Word is full of wisdom and direction! The Holy Spirit in His still quiet voice will instruct you and guide you! Now the decision is in our hands to obey or not!

We see how the scripture for today’s devotional comes from Ephesians and God’s Word commands us to rid ourselves of some very specific things! Let’s be the dads who get rid of bitterness! Let’s be the dads who get rid of rage and anger! Let’s be the dads who get rid of brawling and slander! Let’s be the dads who get rid of every form of malice! God’s word helps us realize the things we have to clear out of the way and then how to proceed! Let’s be the dads who are obedient and not getting stuck, down, or spiraling down! Let’s be the dads who by choosing to be obedient to God’s command and instruction are able to be kind and compassionate to one another! Let’s be the dads who are being kind and compassionate to our wives, kids, and the world! Let’s be the dads who are forgiving each other! Let’s be the dads who are forgiving our wives, our kids, and the people from this world that God has brought in! Let’s be the dads who realize that we aren’t forgiving first as Jesus who forgave us! So let’s be the dads who emulate Jesus and forgive and walk in obedience to God’s Word and Spirit!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“The Love That Drives Out Anger “

Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to fill our hearts with love and drive out anything and everything that shouldn’t be there.
Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to fill our hearts with love and sanitize it so that from the overflow of the heart we speak love into the world around us!
Let’s be the dads who are so connected to Jesus who is the fountain of life that we are filled to overflowing with love for God is love!
Let’s be the dads whose hearts are filled with love, casting out fear as able to respond to situations in alignment with God’s Word and not get tripped up in the snares of the devil and become bitter, angry, and start acting out by brawling, slander, or even malice!
Today’s devotional speaks to this in this way:
- “When we don’t deal with our fear it can easily turn into anger. Fear tends to find comfort in anger. Anger promises to help us defend ourselves against whatever is threatening something we value or need.”
- “Anger is always a secondary emotion. Anger comes from feeling a threat (or hurt) to our security, connection, or control. We feel the threat, then we get angry. Anger isn’t a sin. Anger is a sign.”
Let’s make sure to not mistake or confuse the difference between the anger spoken above and when the righteous anger of God (anger driven by love, not anger, not fear, not bitterness, not rage) was because people were getting abused and He took a stand. It exists but it is rare that we see it in how people respond today.

‘Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?” And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. ‘
Matthew 21:12-17

Today’s devotional points us to Matthew 21:12 when it speaks to just this reality:
- “Jesus got angry about how the religious leaders were abusing people. He overturned tables in the temple. (Matt. 21:12) That was righteous anger. Righteous anger is real, but it’s rare. “
- “I’ve manhandled a few tables in my time, but I can’t say it was because I was standing up for the weak. Hardly. It was because I had unmet expectations or felt a threat to my security, connection, or control. “
Today’s devotional asks us a question to consider:
- “Can you relate? “
Let’s be the dads who take a pause when we are getting angry to look for the source inside of us that is causing us to get this way!
Let’s be the dads who are as diligent with our lives as we are with our cars and when that warning light turns on in the dash, we stop and try to figure it out or take it to the shop to be looked at, and so similarly when the light on the dash of our lives called anger turns on, let’s stop and try to figure out what is going on inside our hearts!
Today’s scriptures were words from the Apostle Paul and a warning because He knew that “when we get angry at situations that threaten our security, connection, or control it tends to lead to unrighteous anger and bitterness, and all the other things“
- Paul’s words from Ephesians 4:31-32 tell us: ‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’
Let’s be the dads who rather than overreacting, use the light on the dashboard of our lives for good by reflecting on what is the source that is causing this and working to address that underlying issue!
Let’s reflect on and grab hold of how today’s devotional closes:
- “We use anger for good when we control the anger and realize that it’s pointing to an area of our life that we need to surrender to God. Anger can remind us that only God’s love can give perfect security, connection, and control. Anger can point to areas of our lives where we’re seeking those things from somewhere besides Him. When you get angry, slow down, take a deep breath, step away from the situation, then say a prayer and ask God to bring you peace and show you what area you need to surrender to Him. He will give you peace and insight. And you’ll have a much better chance of resolving the situation in a healthy way. Love slows down. Anger speeds up. So slow down and lean into God’s love today.“

Love Slows Down – Day 2

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. ‘
1 John 4:18

‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
Romans 8:38-39

Each morning I am so excited to get to see what God’s Word will say. I know God’s Word isn’t just words on a page or on a screen but rather God’s Word is alive and active and meets us right where we are at. Where are you today? What do the verses for today’s devotional speak to you? Will you cling to them? Will you meditate on them? Will you receive them?

Let’s be the dads who are filled with God’s love! Let’s be the dads who are filled to overflowing with God’s love! Let’s be the dads who from the overflow of our hearts, which is so filled with God’s love, pour love into our wives, kids, and the world around us! Let’s be the dads who are so filled with love that there is no fear! Let’s be the dads who allow God’s perfect love to drive out any threats or fears! Let’s be the dads who are so aligned with God that we are walking in faith, hope, and trust in Him rather than allowing the threats and lies of the devil to be trying to create fear of punishment when we know that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus“! Let’s be the dads who are living by faith, trust, and hope in Jesus so that His love casts out all fear and so that we don’t allow fear to be ruling our lives! Let’s be the dads who are “convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nor heavenly rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord“. Let’s be the dads who are with God and who are living our lives to bring our wives, our kids, and our world to Him too!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Perfect Love Drives Out Fear“

Let’s be the dads who cling to God’s purpose for having made us!
- “We were made for the security, connection, and control/empowerment found in God’s love.“
Let’s be the dads who cling to God and live to bring Him praise, honor, and glory!
Let’s be the dads who know when we go off track and quickly turn back to God quickly rather than allowing a foothold for the devil to try to get in and manipulate us!
- “When sin separated Adam and Eve from that love, they immediately felt fear. And we’ve all been feeling fear ever since.“
Let’s be the dads who are aware of the lights on the dashboard of life that are telling us that we are get low in our love tank and leaving space for fear to show up or enter in!
- “Fear has lots of faces. It appears as anxiety, nervousness, or worry.“
Let’s be the dads who are looking for the fainter or less obvious dashboard lights of life that can give us early warning signs that we are in need of a fillup.
- “Sometimes it’s more subtle, showing up as indecision or wanting to check out or numbing ourselves. All fear is connected to a deep feeling of concern that we may not get the security, connection, or control we need.“
Let’s be the dads who have received Jesus and have allow Him to restore the hope and love to be filling us up as He is the fountain of life!
Let’s be the dads who have receive Jesus and have allowed Him to graft us back onto the family tree of God as sons of the most high God and who are living our lives so that our wives and kids can and are doing the same thing!
Let’s be the dads who are confident because we know that Jesus restored our connection to God and so we don’t need to fear anymore!
Let’s be the dads who choose to seek God and God’s love always!
Let’s be the dads who take this perfect love from God into our lives so that the overflow will allow us to step out in faith and trust that God will give us the wisdom and discernment to walk out days in His perfect security, connection, and control!
Let’s be the dads who receive God’s perfect love and allow Him to be our provider of security, connection, and control so that we can live out our lives in a way that will not only bring Him praise, honor, and glory but will also open the door so that our wives, kids, and world will feel that same draw and step into it too!
Let’s be confident in our Lord because His Word tells us how “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nor heavenly rulers, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Today’s devotional speaks to this topic as follows:
- “Jesus restored our direct connection to God’s love, so we don’t have to be afraid anymore. We just have to seek Him and His love. Our spouse, kids, job, home, who we know, and what we have will never bring the perfect security, connection, and control we want. Only God can do that. When we try to get those needs met anywhere apart from Him it will always lead to anxiety and worry. “
Let’s be the dads who realize that fear is real.
Let’s be the dads who when we see fear in ourselves, our wives, our kids, or our world know that we can’t just use logic or facts to stop it but to truly drive out the fear we need to find something stronger, the love of God!
Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the truth found in today’s scripture that tells us how God’s love is perfect and drives out fear!
Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the truth found in God’s Word that tells us that God’s love is stronger than fear!
Today’s devotional speaks to this truth when it says:
- “One of the amazing things about God’s love is that, often times, the best way to experience God’s love is to go out and love others—right in the middle of your fear. Love the fear out of yourself and others! Go serve someone who is in need, even if you’re afraid. When you begin to experience God’s love in action, flowing through you, it will drive out the fear.
  
  Fear doesn’t just go away on its own. Fear grows in the dark. It shrinks our world. The only way to beat fear is to voluntarily expose yourself to the thing you fear in small doses. Take small steps of faith (with wisdom) toward the thing you fear. When God sustains you in each step it will build more faith to move forward. But you have to keep moving forward with courage. Just do it afraid, knowing that nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).“
As we close let’s grab onto God’s Word, God’s truth, and God’s love and allow Him to fill up our hearts to overflowing with His love for we know that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks!
Let’s grab hold of the closing statements from today’s devotional about God and His Word:
- “Be courageous today. God’s love is the source of the security, connection, and control you are looking for. Express that love to others. Live in that love.“
Let’s choose to be like Joshua and be bold and courageous!

Love Slows Down – Day 1

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

1 John 4:7-12

‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ‘
1 John 4:7-12

God’s Word is alive and active and is sharper than a double-edged sword! Let’s not read it or treat it like it is a dusty old book of stories but rather let’s study it as the Word of God that can and will speak directly into our lives right here and right now.

Let’s be the dads who are filled with love because of our connection to God! Let’s be the dads who are filled to overflowing with love because we are filled with the fountain of life that is Jesus! Let’s be the dads who live out 1 Thessalonians 3:12 where it says: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” Let’s be the dads who love one another because love comes from God! Let’s be the dads who loves because we have been born of God and we know God! Let’s be the dads who take that love and pour it into the lives of our wives and kids because we know that “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Let’s be the dads who demonstrate love in the ways we think, speak, and act towards our wives, kids, and world around us! God showed His love by being generous! God shows His love by sending “his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” Let’s be the dads who will love our wives, kids, and world around us first! Let’s be the dads emulate our Heavenly Father who “loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Let’s be the dads who take hold of how much God loves us and love one another! Let’s be the dads who reflect God through our lives and point people to Jesus because we live our lives loving others, loving one another! Let’s be the dads who demonstrate that we have Jesus in us, in our hearts, in our lives, by loving so that His love can be made complete in us!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Joël and Jonathan Malm (http://joelmalm.com).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Made for Love“

Love – remember the definition of it? Remember what 1 Corinthians 13 tells us about it?
- ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ‘ — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Today’s devotional speaks to how
- “We all want to be loved.“
- “We want to give and receive love.“
Today’s devotional then shares how the realities of life try to rob that from us when it says:
- “But much of the time our lives are filled with frustration, hurry, anger, and anxiety.“
The good thing is it doesn’t have to be! We all have free will and get to choose!
So let’s be the dads who are connected to the branch that is Jesus so that we can produce the fruits of the Spirit!
Put another way, today’s devotional says: “God wants to give you the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.“
Today’s devotional shares a key for this to become a reality: “slow down and focus on the right things“
This devotional has just such a purpose to help it be a reality for us!
- “In this devotional, I want to help you slow down, release your anxiety, anger, and frustration, and replace it with God’s love. I want to show you how God’s love is actually the answer for every challenge you’re facing in life right now. “
Let’s be the dads who are focusing more on God than on the obstacles!
Let’s be the dads who are focusing more on God than on the threats!
Let’s be the dads who are focusing more on God than on the challenges!
Today’s devotional speaks how we can be challenged to slow down as follows:
- “The simple answer is this: You have some hopes and dreams for you and your family and all around you are potential challenges and threats to achieving those hopes and dreams.“
Let’s be the dads who want God’s will, God’s purpose, and God’s plan more than our own!
For many of us what we want, as called out in today’s devotional, is supposed to be getting met by God!
Let’s be the dads who can wait upon the Lord and allow Him to meet our needs!
Yes, we may be the dads who want:
- Security (physical, financial, emotional)
- Connection (relationships, feeling valued and accepted)
- Control (empowerment, free will, choices, and options)
So, let’s choose to allow God to be our provider and for Him to meet these needs!
We want them because God created us to need them!
He created us to need them so that He could supply them in and through Him!
Today’s devotional even goes all the way back to the beginning to demonstrate this when it says:
- “Adam and Eve had security, connection, and control (free will) in the Garden of Eden. But when they sinned, they were separated from God—the perfect fulfillment of those needs. They immediately felt fear. (Genesis 3:10) We’ve all felt fear ever since. Fear leads to anger and anxiety and hurry. The good news is, because of Jesus, we are reconnected to God’s perfect love that fulfills all those needs—if we’ll look to Him for it. “
So as today’s scripture spoke to us, let’s be the dads who realize and remember that we were created from love, we were created for love, and we are created to pour out love back to God and out to the people He has put in our lives!
Let’s be the dads who slow down and find our security in God’s love!
Let’s be the dads who slow down and find our connection in God’s love!
Let’s be the dads who slow down and find our control and empowerment in God’s love!
Today’s devotional closes by getting us to pause and reflect on three dreams and hopes!
- “Take a moment to think about those three hopes and dreams.“
  - “Which one would you say you’re looking for most right now?“
    - “Think about what having that need met would look like in your life.“
    - “Then read today’s verse and let it sink in that God’s perfect love is the source for everything you are looking for.“

‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ‘
1 John 4:7-12

The Father Knows Best – Day 3

The search continued for dad-related devotions and I found this one titled “The Father Knows Best” by Dr. Tony Evans. This devotional is interesting as it speaks to “major loss or difficult setbacks or emotional turmoil” and how “it can be a temptation to fall prey to despair.” As we close this devotional today we will get to hear about how “he found peace through hanging on to hope“. We each have things we have, are, or will be going through and the more tools we can put in our toolbelt to help us press on the better prepared we will be to thrive for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who are looking for ways to lean in on God when the world starts to press in on us because we know that we can trade our sorrows for the joy of the Lord! Let’s pause for a moment and allow a song to get us prepared for God’s Word and the message of hope from Dr. Tony Evans.

I’mTrading My Sorrows (yes lord) – Darrell Evans (With Lrycis)

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

‘And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ‘
Romans 8:27-28

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘
Matthew 6:33

God’s Word is unchanging and alive! God’s Word is a love letter to us! God’s Word is powerful! God’s Word provides us with truth and wisdom!

Let’s be the dads who invite God into our hearts to search it and clean house. Let’s be the dads who invite Jesus into our hearts so that we can have His Spirit in us to provide us with wisdom and guidance for each day and every situation! Let’s be the dads who lean in on the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be our comforter and our guide who can intercede on our behalf even when we don’t know what to pray! Let’s be the dads who lean in on the Holy Spirit when we don’t know what to say or pray because we know that He prays and intercedes in our moans and groans in accordance with the will of God! Let’s be the dads who trust God because we know that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes!

Let’s be the dads who get our priorities straight! Let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! Let’s be the dads who trust God to take care of our needs so much that we look to fulfill His call on our life first and lean in on Him, seeking His will and His way as our top priority! Let’s be the dads who are leaning so hard into and on God that we have no worry or fear because we know that by giving it all to Him, every need or concern will be taken care of by our loving Heavenly Father! When we put the right things in first it leaves room for the smaller and smaller things to fill in the gaps. Check out the example where they put in the rocks, the pebbles, the sand, and even then when everyone is sure there isn’t any room left, they add water. So let’s make sure we put first things first! Let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness so that everything else can be taken care of too.

Today’s devotional has been provided by The Urban Alternative (Tony Evans) (https://tonyevans.org/).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Learn about the nature of God so we can have a deeply rooted trust in Him“

Do you know God or just about God?
Are you about rituals and routines or about a relationship with God?
Let’s be the dads who have invited Jesus into our lives who had made a way when there didn’t seem to be a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled back unto God so that we can know God and live our lives in relationship with Him!
Let’s be the dads who trust God so much that our wives see it and they lean in and trust God too!
Let’s be the dads who trust God so much that our kids see it and they lean in and trust God too!
Let’s be the dads who model our lives after our Heavenly Father so that our wives and kids can know and trust they will be taken care of!
Let’s be the dads who model our lives after our Heavenly Father so that our wives and kids don’t have to worry about the day-to-day things because they know that those will all be taken care of!
Let’s be the dads who are looking out for the best for our wives and kids!
Let’s be the dads who are providing for the needs of our wives and kids!
Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father are looking to not only meet the needs of our kids but to exceed them by providing something better than they expected!
Let’s be the dads who like our Heavenly Father are looking to provide love, hope, and faith into our families for our wives and kids to cling to and be able to live by.
In today’s devotional, we hear about the author’s personal story and how God was able to work a way through his dad to show God’s love and provision!
Let’s be the dads who are pouring love and provision into the lives of our wives and kids!
Today’s devotional closed with this question:
- “When has God given you something better than what you asked for?“
Today’s devotional even closed with an opening for you and for me:
- “We hope this plan encouraged you. For more about the ministry of Dr. Tony Evans, click here. “

The Father Knows Best – Day 2

The search continued for dad-related devotions and I found this one titled “The Father Knows Best” by Dr. Tony Evans. This devotional is interesting as it speaks to “major loss or difficult setbacks or emotional turmoil” and how “it can be a temptation to fall prey to despair.” As we spend the remaining two days going through this devotional we will get to hear about how “he found peace through hanging on to hope“. We each have things we have, are, or will be going through and the more tools we can put in our toolbelt to help us press on the better prepared we will be to thrive for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who are looking for ways to lean in on God when the world starts to press in on us because we know that we can trade our sorrows for the joy of the Lord! Let’s pause for a moment and allow a song to get us prepared for God’s Word and the message of hope from Dr. Tony Evans.

0:37 / 4:14

Trading My Sorrows – Elevation Worship Online Experience Version

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. ‘
Proverbs 19:21

‘Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: ‘
Psalms 37:5

God’s Word is the truth! God’s Word never changes! God’s Word is powerful and alive! Let’s never take for granted that we have God’s Word to reference and take with us! Let’s cherish God’s Word to us and that we get to read it, reference it, and meditate on it daily!

Let’s be the dads who seek God for wisdom and discernment to help us prepare and plan for our lives and the lives of our wives and kids! Let’s be the dads who pray for God’s protection and healthy to allow us to complete the good works He has prepared in advance for us to accomplish! Let’s be the dads who capture and offer the plans in our hearts to God so that He can refine them and direct us in the ways we should go! Let’s be the dads who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness so that the desires of our hearts align with Him and that His purposes will prevail! Let’s be the dads who are sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit so that we can walk out our lives in a way that will bring God the praise, the honor, and the glory! Let’s be the dads who commit our way to the Lord! Let’s be the dads who trust in God! Let’s be the dads who lean into God trusting Him so much that we will and can receive His promises like ‘He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. ‘ (Psalms 37:6)

Today’s devotional has been provided by The Urban Alternative (Tony Evans) (https://tonyevans.org/).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Saying “yes” in the face of God’s “no”“

Let’s be the dads who are focused more on being obedient to God’s will than getting our own way!
Let’s be the dads who are ready and willing to say “yes” to God’s “no”!
Let’s be the dads who are pursuing the will of God, even if it isn’t what we are asking for or desiring!
Let’s be the dads who break the process of our natural tendencies in order to choose and receive God’s plan and purpose for how our lives will play out!
Let’s be the dads who are willing to deal with the pain and suffering for a season because we know that it will end and that we will find joy in the morning!
Let’s be the dads who are willing to let God end one season in order to start a new one!
Let’s be the dads who are ready and willing to let God start something new in and through us!
Let’s be the dads who learn through it so that we can share the lesson with others!
As I typed that I reflect on how I had to trust God even when He called me to something I thought was so much bigger than anything I could ever do!
As I typed that I reflect on how I had to trust God and be obedient when He called me to forgive those who had hurt me and how forgiveness was the key to freedom and that I was going to be positioned to speak forgiveness into the lives of so many others!
Let’s be the dads who like Jesus when He was in the garden and asked if there was another way, submitted to the Father in order to do it His way that would open the door to forgiveness and salvation!
- ‘Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” ‘ Matthew 26:36-46
Let’s be the dads who are ok to let this cup pass from me so that God’s will can be done in and through our lives!
Let’s be the dads who are able to release that which is behind us in order to press onward to what lies ahead!
- “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
Let’s allow God to be God and not try to take control out of His hands!
Let’s choose to surrender to God’s purpose and plan because we know it is for our good and His glory!
Let’s choose to surrender to God’s purpose and plan no matter how much it hurts in the moment!
Today’s devotional shares these ideas like this:
- “Saying “yes” in the face of God’s “no” is a breaking process, and it is very painful. But it is also the place where God begins a new thing. Rarely do we understand it at the time. The Lord does not ask that we be okay with being broken. He only asks that we submit to the breaking and trust Him with it. The apex of obedience to God is to faithfully say, “Lord, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done,” to release what is behind and press on to what lies ahead, to surrender, to let God close the door, regardless of how much it hurts. “
With my promised son from God whom for that reason I named Isaac, there are many times when I wonder about all that took place in the life of Abraham.
Abraham trusted God to the point of getting to be called His friend!
- “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6
- “Abraham showed his love for God through his faith accompanied by obedience (Genesis 12:1, 4; 15:6).”
  - ‘The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. ‘ Genesis 12:1-5
  - ‘Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ‘ 2 Chronicles 20:7
  - ‘Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. ‘ James 2:21-24
Let’s be the dads who are more interested in what God says and thinks than what people say and think!
Are you ready to put something behind you because God says and open yourself up for the miracle God prepared for the outcome of that obedience?
Today’s devotional tells the story this way:
- “Let Abraham testify. He was commanded to surrender his will and lay his son, Isaac, on the altar of sacrifice. Isaac was Abraham’s miracle baby, born when his father was one hundred years old. And yet God called Abraham to lay his miracle on the altar at Mount Moriah. Facing the biggest loss in his life also led to Abraham’s biggest miracle, becoming not just Isaac’s father but the father of many nations. “
Today’s devotional closes with this question for us to ponder:
- “How is obedience related to the discovery of God’s will for your life?“

The Father Knows Best – Day 1

The search continues for dad-related devotions and I found this one titled “The Father Knows Best” by Dr. Tony Evans. This devotional is interesting as it speaks to “major loss or difficult setbacks or emotional turmoil” and how “it can be a temptation to fall prey to despair.” As we spend the next three days going through this devotional we will get to hear about how “he found peace through hanging on to hope“. We each have things we have, are, or will be going through and the more tools we can put in our toolbelt to help us press on the better prepared we will be to thrive for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who are looking for ways to lean in on God when the world starts to press in on us because we know that we can trade our sorrows for the joy of the Lord! Let’s pause for a moment and allow a song to get us prepared for God’s Word and the message of hope from Dr. Tony Evans.

Trading My Sorrows sung by Third Day

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

‘I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.’
Psalms 3:5-6

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’
Proverbs 3:5-6

God knows what we have need of even before we ask, so why should we be surprised when His Word speaks to us right where we are at? God’s Word is alive and active and sharper enough to get right to the point, “it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

So let’s be the dads who do not go through this life alone or try to do it all in our own strength! Let’s be the dads who trust God and allow Him to sustain us! Let’s be the dads who are fearless because we are trusting and leaning on God so much that even if or when “tens of thousands assail me on every side” we can say “I will not fear“.

Let’s be the dads who “trust in the Lord with all your heart“. Let’s be the dads who “lean not on our own understanding“. Let’s be the dads who submit to God in all our ways! Let’s be the dads who walk so closely to God and in such an intimate relationship with God that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us to the point of making our paths straight!

Today’s devotional has been provided by The Urban Alternative (Tony Evans) (https://tonyevans.org/).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“How could I remain hopeful“

Ever prayed for something and then it didn’t happen and you started to lose hope?
Ever prayed for something and then it happened and then was taken away?
Ever prayed for something and then …?
How could you remain hopeful?
Imagine being someone who is a hope dealer, who spreads hope to others and deals with such a struggle.
What is it that brings you the strength and ability to remain hopeful?
Today’s devotional kicks off with just such a challenge:
- “How could I remain hopeful after God did not answer one of the biggest prayers of my life—to heal my wife? How can I possibly continue to encourage others to hold on to hope? This is the challenge I had to face.“
What is hope? Is hope a state or an action? Where does your hope come from?

NOUN
hope (noun) · hopes (plural noun)
a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen:
"he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information" · "I had high hopes of making the Olympic team"
synonyms:
aspiration · desire · wish · expectation · ambition · aim · plan · dream · daydream · pipe dream · longing · yearning · craving · hankering
a person or thing that may help or save someone:
"their only hope is surgery"
synonyms:
optimism · grounds for hope · promise · light at the end of the tunnel
antonyms:
pessimism
grounds for believing that something good may happen:
"he does see some hope for the future"
synonyms:
hopefulness · optimism · expectation · expectancy · confidence · faith · trust · belief · conviction · assurance
archaic
a feeling of trust:
"our private friendship, upon hope and affiance whereof, I presume to be your petitioner" — Hope as a noun

VERB
hope (verb) · hopes (third person present) · hoped (past tense) · hoped (past participle) · hoping (present participle)
want something to happen or be the case:
"he's hoping for an offer of compensation" · "I hope that the kids are OK"
synonyms:
expect · anticipate · look for · wait for · be hopeful of · pin one's hopes on · want · wish for · dream of · hope against hope for
antonyms:
despair of
intend if possible to do something:
"we're hoping to address all these issues"
synonyms:
aim · intend · be looking · have the/every intention · have in mind · plan · aspire — Hope as a verb

Today’s devotional speaks to it with “Hope is our expectation for the future.“
In today’s devotional we learn about Dr. Tony Evans’ hope when he shares:
- “I had hope that my wife, Lois, would be completely healed and restored. We had goals, dreams of the future, great things we wanted to do together for the Lord and with each other. “
God always answers prayer, it just may not be the way we hoped. He may say “yes” or “no” or “not yet”.
In today’s devotional we learn how it played out and what Tony had to do with it:
- “God chose not to answer my prayer in the way I had hoped. So, I had to hold on to a hope that God, in His wisdom, had a greater purpose and plan that could only be fulfilled in this way. Hope for strength, for courage, for help in finding a way to move forward. Hope that God would take all the pain and confusion and reveal a deeper experience of His love than ever before. “
Let’s be the dads who grab hold of God’s promises and God’s Word to help us get through the trials and troubles of this life.
Let’s be the dads who take heart because we know that Jesus has overcome the world!
Let’s be the dads who consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds because we know that by persevering by faith and allowing perseverance to finish its work we will be complete and lacking nothing!
Let’s be the dads who hold onto the reality that God is love, God’s plan for us is for good and not for evil, and God’s plan is to give us hope and a future!
Let’s be the dads God created and purposed for us to be for our wives, kids, and this world around us!
Today’s devotional shared how he leaned in on God when he shares:
- “In the face of loss, we must let go and trust in His sovereignty and kindness. “Lord, it’s not my will,” I told Him, “But your will be done.” That was an act of surrender, and I won’t pretend it was an easy thing to do. Every believer will face a moment when they have to yield to His final decision and say “yes” to God about a “no” He has said to them. “
Today’s devotional finishes with some questions for us to ponder:
- “What experiences have you had with God saying “no”?“
- “What was the result?“

What The Father Says – Day 3

Today, we will conclude the devotional titled “What The Father Says“. In the description, there is a powerful thought that makes me excited to get to go through it and see what we can learn. It speaks to God’s love, the Father’s love towards us and how it is “more numerous than the sands of the shore“, how each of us is “His beloved child“, and how “He is pleased with you!” I’m excited to get to spend the next three days with you looking to grasp and share God as “the perfect, stunning nature of your heavenly Father.” I’m excited to get to explore with you how “in His love, there is no striving and no fear, for you are in the palm of His hand.“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

‘He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ‘
2 Chronicles 20:15-22

‘ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’
Matthew 6:25-34

God’s Word meets us right where we are at! God’s Word is active and alive! So let’s be the dads who are ready and willing to receive from God through His Word! Let’s be the dads who will pause in order to receive a word from God!

Let’s be the dads who realize that our God is bigger than any problem that will or can come our way! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to not be afraid! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word that the battle belongs to Him! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word that will instruct us at the moment through the Holy Spirit how to respond, act, and be! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to take up our position, stand firm, and see the deliverance that God will give us! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to not be afraid and not be discouraged! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to go out there with God! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to worship God and praise God with a loud voice! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to have faith in the Lord our God for we know that He will uphold us! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to have faith in God’s Word and be successful! Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God so that when the problem, the trouble, or the trial comes our way, we can receive God’s Word to sing and worship God in the midst of the battle! Let’s be the dads who receive the words sung in today’s verses when it says “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” Let’s be the dads who are obedient to the instruction and direction of God so that we can be witnesses to God’s hand at work and the victory that is His while the problem, the trouble, or the trial are defeated!

God speaks to us in the Old Testament and in the New Testament! God’s Word never returns void! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of what Jesus tells us when He says:

‘ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ‘
Matthew 6:25-26

Let’s be the dads who don’t get trapped or stuck worrying but instead cast our cares upon Jesus because He cares for us! Let’s remember the reality of worry that Jesus tells us about when He says:

‘Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ‘
Matthew 6:27-30

Let’s be the dads who choose to trust God rather than worry which has no positive benefit! Let’s be the dads who trust God because we know that He knows what we need even before we ask! Let’s be the dads who grab a hold of this and what Jesus says:

‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ‘
Matthew 6:32

Let’s be the dads who focus on the right priorities! Let’s be the dads who put first things first! Let’s be the dads who grab onto the words of Jesus as we continue in today’s reading that says:

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘
Matthew 6:33

Let’s be the dads who aren’t focused on worrying but rather are living out our today to the full! Let’s be the dads who choose to live a Happy Today because this is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Let’s grab a hold of what Jesus tells us in the closing of today’s verses:

‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’
Matthew 6:34

Today’s devotional has been provided by Christ for the Nations (Visit https://cfni.org/ for more information).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“You’re In The Palm Of My Hand“

Let’s be the dads who invite Jesus into our hearts!
Let’s be the dads who ask Jesus to help clean out the junk He finds in our hearts and replace it with love and more of Him!
Let’s be the dads who ask Jesus to have the Holy Spirit flood our hearts to overflowing with the love of God!
Let’s be the dads who ask Jesus to fill our hearts to overflowing with God’s love so that there won’t be room for fear!
Let’s be the dads who walk with open hands so that we can be conduits for God rather than grasping and clinging onto things!
Let’s be the dads who only click to God!
Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God who is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider!
Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God who is Jehovah Rapha, our Healer!
Let’s be the dads who put all of our trust in God who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End!
Let’s be the dads who are choosing to live in the fullness of God’s goodness through our covenant with Him!
Let’s be the dads who give everything into God’s hands and then be good stewards of what He puts into ours!
Let’s be the dads who are good stewards of our finances!
Let’s be the dads who are good stewards of our future!
Let’s be the dads who are good stewards of our families!
Let’s be the dads who watch to see how by putting it all into God’s hands, how He will use them for our good and His glory!
Let’s be the dads who choose to live in the middle of God’s hand!
Let’s be the dads who help others live in the palm of God’s hand!
Let’s be the dads who believe and share the reality that “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”
Let’s be the dads who when we face troubles, trials, and problems don’t turn away from God but lean in harder on God!
Let’s be the dads who when we face troubles, trials, and problems don’t turn away from God but lean in on God and find “rest in His nearness“!
Let’s be the dads who are learning and trust in God by living our lives “not by might, nor power, but by His spirit.”
Let’s be the dads who in the midst of troubles, trials, and problems run to God who “is our hiding place, refuge, and strong tower.“
Let’s be the dads who are trusting God “in the known and the unknown, in the present and the days to come, He is the one to which we should always run.“
Let’s be the dads who can find rest in God!
Let’s be the dads who trust God so much that in the middle of everything going on we can find rest in Him!
Let’s be the dads who trust God so much that in the middle of the troubles and trials, we lean on God and find rest in His arms and adore Him!
Today’s devotional speaks to it this way:

In 2 Chronicles 20:20, King Jehoshaphat was in the middle of a battle. The word of the Lord came saying, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” As they went toward the army, King Jehoshaphat and his people worshipped full-heartedly, and exalted God’s name!
As they sang, the Lord set ambushes against their rival, and their enemy was defeated.
One of the greatest positions of faith is to rest in the Father’s arms and adore Him. Rest in the goodness of God. Rest in His promises. Rest in His victory. Rest, and He will take care of the rest. Like John the beloved, lay your head upon Jesus’ chest. It’s in this place of intimacy and communion that all concerns are drowned out by the beat of God’s heart. His heart is beating for you. The Father says, “You are in the palm of My hand.”
What The Father Says – Day 3

Today’s devotional closes with the encouraging lyrics from Shalom by Legacy Worship:

“It may not be a part of your plan
But you’re in the palm of My hand
I’ve got you
I’ve got you
I’m right here
I’ve never left you
I’m still here
I’m right beside you”
What The Father Says – Day 3

Embedding the video of the son in case you wanted to hear it all.

What The Father Says – Day 2

For the remaining two days we will be going through the devotional titled “What The Father Says“. In the description, there is a powerful thought that makes me excited to get to go through it and see what we can learn. It speaks to God’s love, the Father’s love towards us and how it is “more numerous than the sands of the shore“, how each of us is “His beloved child“, and how “He is pleased with you!” I’m excited to get to spend the next three days with you looking to grasp and share God as “the perfect, stunning nature of your heavenly Father.” I’m excited to get to explore with you how “in His love, there is no striving and no fear, for you are in the palm of His hand.“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

‘When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” ‘
Luke 3:21-22

‘ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ‘
John 15:5

God’s Word provides us with knowledge and as we meditate on it and study it with the Holy Spirit we gain wisdom to be able to apply it to our lives. Let’s be the dads who apply God’s Word in our lives so that when we come to the end of our lives we will get to hear God say “well done” and that He is pleased with us. Let’s be the dads who are focused on doing the will of the Father in our and for our lives! Let’s be the dads who choose to live connected to Jesus and allow Him to flow into and through us so that we are able to produce good fruit! Let’s be the dads who choose to remain in Jesus! Let’s be the dads who in so doing produce not only much fruit but good fruit! Let’s be the dads who produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives like: ‘love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ Let’s be the dads who choose to stick to and stick with Jesus because we know that in and through Him, all things are possible! Let’s be the dads who choose to stick to and stick with Jesus because we know that apart from Him, we can do nothing!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Christ for the Nations (Visit https://cfni.org/ for more information).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“I Am Pleased With You“

Let’s be the dads who realize that Jesus paid for it all and made the way for us to be a joy to God and a delight to God!
Let’s be the dads who realize that Jesus paid for it all and so we no longer need to be striving for God’s love but rather abide in God’s love!
Let’s be the dads who realize that Jesus paid it all so we can come to God without fear and worry and abide with God and in God!
Let’s be the dads who stay connected to God and receive the love He wants to pour into and over us!
Let’s be the dads who cast our cares on God because we know that He cares for us!
Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to walk out life with us for His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
Let’s be the dads who rest in God’s pleasure before He is pleased with us!
Let’s be the dads who study God’s Word so we can go from knowledge to wisdom and able to apply it in our lives!
Let’s be the dads who live our lives demonstrating God’s love and goodness to our wives, kids, and world!
Let’s be the dads who spend time with our family rather than giving them the leftovers!
Let’s be the dads who spend more time drawing closer to God so we can become more like Jesus!
Today’s devotional speaks to a famous and godly man and shares:
- “The late Billy Graham once said, “Although I have much to be grateful for as I look back over my life, I also have many regrets. For one thing, I would speak less and study more, and I would spend more time with my family. I would also spend more time in spiritual nurture, seeking to grow closer to God so I could become more like Christ.”
  Millions were touched by Billy Graham’s ministry, yet at the end of his life, he desired to spend less time speaking, more time with his family, and more time seeking the Lord.”
Let’s be the dads who pause and consider for a moment our priorities and make sure we are living them properly. (God, Wife, Kids, … everything else comes after that)
Let’s be the dads who escape from the trap of this world of being “caught up in the whirl of doing, doing, doing.“
Let’s be the dads who escape from the deception of this world that “does it’s best to lure us into busyness and distraction.“
Let’s be the dads who “posture of our hearts as children in the arms of our Father should be to rest, rest, rest.“
Let’s be the dads who receive “the revelation of Abba Father’s pleasure in us breaks off self-effort and guides us out of striving into simplicity.“
Let’s be the dads who look to God as our source, our teacher, and our guide!
Today’s devotional closes with the following thought:
- “The pleasure of God will never draw us into busyness, rather it will always invite us to His nearness. A. W. Tozer once said, “A man who grows in friendship with God, finds his life to be more and more simple.” There is a wooing from His depth to ours, a beckoning into the simplicity of enjoyment, communion, and adoration. The life of a laid-down lover of Jesus is not striving to receive His pleasure, but abiding from His pleasure. For the Father says, “I am pleased with you.”“

What The Father Says – Day 1

As I searched for a new devotional to share on Be The Dads, I searched “dad” and for the next three days we will be going through the devotional titled “What The Father Says“. In the description, there is a powerful thought that makes me excited to get to go through it and see what we can learn. It speaks to God’s love, the Father’s love towards us and how it is “more numerous than the sands of the shore“, how each of us is “His beloved child“, and how “He is pleased with you!” I’m excited to get to spend the next three days with you looking to grasp and share God as “the perfect, stunning nature of your heavenly Father.” I’m excited to get to explore with you how “in His love, there is no striving and no fear, for you are in the palm of His hand.“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

‘For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.” ‘
Romans 8:14-15

‘And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”’
2 Corinthians 6:18

God’s Word is so powerful and speaks as a love letter to us from our Heavenly Father! Ever considered it that way? Want to get a view of it that way? Check out The Father’s Love Letter which allows you to read it, listen to it, and even watch a video. Let’s be the dads who are being led by the Spirit of God in all our thoughts, words, and actions! Let’s be the dads who walk boldly and courageously because we are being led by the Spirit of God who has enabled us to be adopted into the family of God! Let’s be the dads who see God as our Father and when we need our daddy to help us we can cry out to Him “Abba, Father”. Let’s be the dads who have a personal and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father! Let’s be the dads who live out our lives in a way that others see it and are able to receive it too so that we can all become sons and daughters of the most high God! Let’s be the dads who help our wives to receive and be the daughters and feel that love of God! Let’s be the dads who help our kids to receive and be the sons and daughters of the most high God and get to live and feel that love of God! Let’s be the dads who help the world around us to know and see and experience the love of God so they too can receive Him and become children of God!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Christ for the Nations (Visit https://cfni.org/ for more information).

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“ You Are My Beloved Child“

Let’s be the dads who grab hold of how God knit us together in our mother’s womb!
Let’s be the dads who hold tightly to the reality that God knew us before we were born and created us with purpose, on purpose, and for a purpose!
Let’s be the dads who know that God has a plan for our lives and it is for good!
Today’s devotional speaks to this as follows:
- “The Father says, “Before you were ever a thought, I knew every detail of your design. From the number of hairs on your head to the number of days in your life, I have made you for My pleasure and delight. More numerous than the sands on the shore, are My thoughts of love towards you. You are My beloved child, and I’m proud to call you Mine.”“
Let’s be the dads who point our loved one to our Heavenly Father who is so much greater than anything we can or could ever be!
Let’s be the dads who don’t allow our story or the past to taint our view or understanding of God!
Let’s be the dads who avoid painting God based on our life experiences with our own dads!
Today’s devotional speaks to this as follows:
- “You are a child of God! Many people have grown up in families with fathers that weren’t active, others have grown up with phenomenal fathers, or maybe fathers that weren’t present at all. This piece of our story often becomes the lens through which we see our heavenly Father.“
Today’s devotional gives us an interesting question to ponder: “How do you envision your Abba Father?“
What is the state of your heart and how is it impacting your ability to see God as He is?
What is the state of your heart when it comes to forgiveness and how is it impacting your ability to see God as He is?
Forgiveness is so crucial and critical I am going to pause today’s devotional for a moment and share a testimony I gave to a group of coworkers about the importance of forgiveness and how it transformed me.

Presentation on the power of Forgiveness

Let’s be the dads who don’t allow the poison of unforgiveness to keep us from being able to live our lives to the full!
Let’s be the dads who don’t allow the poison of bitterness to cause us pain and suffering and keep us from the love of God and living life to the full!
Let’s be the dads who don’t allow the poison of resentment to hold us back from being and becoming everything God planned, purposed, and created us to be!
Taking the poison won’t help you and won’t have any impact on the other person, so let’s choose to forgive!
Let’s be the dads who forgive and invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit to go into our hearts and clean house!
Let’s be the dads who invite God into our hearts and minds to clean out the false beliefs we have about His character!
Let’s be the dads who invite God into our hearts and minds to wipe out the past traumas that have tainted our view of Him!
Let’s be the dads who allow the reality of who God is and how God is to penetrate to our deepest parts!
Let’s be the dads who know and who show that God’s character “is the embodiment of perfection, kindness, and love; it is without blemish, flaw, or stain.“
Let’s be the dads God created us to be!
As we close, let’s reflect on the final thought from today’s devotional:
- “Take a few moments, close your eyes, and reflect on God’s stunning nature. Healing oil from heaven is flooding into your heart right now, removing cloudiness, and opening the eyes of your heart. Listen to your Father’s voice as He whispers truth into your spirit, and receive His lavish love that is swelling in His heart for you. The Father says, “You are My beloved child.”“

Kill the Noise – Day 7

It amazes me how quickly time seems to go as we arrive at the last day of our “Kill the Noise“ devotional.

Its description captured my attention when it spoke to “playing”, I over the years will say in meetings “let’s play pretend” which tends to allow people to come along and to make sure there isn’t any deception I tell them how it usually means “let’s play for real” so that we are on the same page and that most people will come along on playing pretend whereas others are hesitant to play for real. The description says it this way: “Too many people are playing at being Christians, and some haven’t yet taken even the first step of belief.” The key for us to grab hold of in order to be the dads God created us to be is that we need to draw closer to Jesus and allow Him into every aspect of our lives. Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to be Lord of all of our lives so that we don’t end up where we discover that we never allowed Him to be Lord at all. Today’s intro speaks to us to be the dads that allow Jesus to continue to get closer to us when it says: “No matter where you are in your spiritual walk, Jesus wants you closer.” Let’s be the dads who are seeking God’s purpose, plan, and will for our lives! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that “He’s got a perfect plan for your life – a plan for purpose, peace, joy, and eternal life.” Let’s be the dads who choose to be authentic! Let’s be the dads who choose to be real! As this devotional says: “All it takes is you deciding that the poser life is not for you. You’re going to be fully committed!” Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you able? Remember all things are possible for those who believe! We will be the dads who are able as long as you believe, then God can do anything in your life! If you believe. you see, God is able to do all things, and he does them according to his plan and according to his purpose, and according to his will. That’s right, it takes faith!

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

‘As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”’
Luke 10:38-42

‘Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. ” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. ‘
John 12:1-6

Let’s be the dads who consider where we are at today and what God has planned and purposed, prepared in advance for us to accomplish. Let’s be the dads who grab hold of what God has to tell us through His Word today and how we can apply it in and through our lives today! God’s Word is alive and knows exactly where we are at today! God’s Word is alive and active, ready to speak right into our very situation! God’s Word can cut to the core so that we can get to the point and work on it!

Let’s be the dads who can live in the moment! Let’s be the dads who don’t get distracted by the world and instead let’s put our focus on Jesus and what it is He would want and have us do at this moment! Let’s be the dads who are loving and caring to our wives at the moment! Let’s be the dads who are loving and caring to our kids at the moment! Let’s be the dads who see what is going on in the world around us and are able to step up and step in to respond, listen, or learn at the moment! Let’s not get caught wanting to be busy and working more than spending quality and quantity time with those God has brought into our lives! Let’s be the dads our wives need us to be! Let’s be the dads that our kids need us to be! Let’s be the dads that this world needs us to be! Let’s invite Jesus into our situation, our lives, our today, and choose to do what He calls better!

Let’s be the dads who choose to live humbly! Let’s be the dads who seek to go from knowledge to understanding by asking God for wisdom and discernment at the moment! Let’s be the dads who ask God for wisdom and discernment so that we can understand deeper what is really the motive taking place at the moment! Let’s be the dads who want to live our lives as living sacrifices that produce fragrance. Let’s be dads who care about and for people! Let’s be the dads who take care of people, starting with our wives and then our kids and then the world around us! Let’s seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! Let’s keep our priorities straight so that we can have our hearts and minds lined up with God’s purpose, plan, and will for our lives! Let’s be the dads who choose to live with integrity!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Ryan Ries and The Whosoevers. (www.thewhosoevers.com and http://www.elcentronetwork.com)

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“No Posers“

Let’s be the dads who are real!
Let’s be the dads who are authentic!
Let’s be the dads who have godly character!
Let’s be the dads who have integrity!
Let’s be the dads who aren’t just putting on a show!
Let’s be the dads who aren’t being sneaky and conniving!
Let’s be the dads who go beyond being hearers of the Word into being doers of the Word!
Today’s devotional speaks to this area as follows:
- “Fake. There are few worse insults that someone can throw at you. Being called a fake isn’t just directed at your actions; it gets down to who you are. It says that you have no character, no integrity. You’ve got big words, but when it comes down to it, you have no game. You’re just a poser.“
Let’s be the dads who want more of Jesus!
Let’s be the dads who live out our lives in relationship with Jesus!
Let’s be the dads who are more interested in a relationship with Jesus than rituals and routines that would keep us busy and look like we are more spiritual!
Like Jesus, let’s be dads who are more interested in the state of the heart! our heart! our wives’ hearts! our kids’ hearts! the world around us’ heart!
Without the two scriptures, we have today someone may have questions about Mary’s heart but when we see her response to Jesus, we know her heart was in the right place!
Let’s be the dads who can worship Jesus by observing Him and also by taking action!
Let’s be the dads who choose to live our lives in a way that will honor and bless Jesus as our Lord and Savior!
Let’s be the dads who choose to sacrificially give to God what we have for His praise, honor, and glory!
Let’s be the dads who choose to be real rather than posers!
Let’s be the dads who are committed to Jesus and following after Him for the rest of our lives!
Let’s be the dads who are authentic and not being fake or posers!
Let’s be the dads who care and live it out in alignment to God’s will and God’s way!
Today’s devotional shares a comparison between Mary and Judas when it says:
- “Then there was that other guy. He was watching what Mary did and he was so mad. “But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray Him, said, ‘That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.’ Not that he cared for the poor at all—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself” (John 12:4–6). Judas – this dude walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus and watched all the miracles and enjoyed the respect of being known as one of the Lord’s “inside men.” He was part of the squad. People looked up to him. But he was a big poser time after time. He was just in it for himself. Later that week, he proved who he really was when he betrayed Jesus, leading to the Lord’s arrest and crucifixion.“
Let’s be the dads who are fully committed to Jesus and daily make a conscious decision that the poser life isn’t for us!
Let’s be the dads who daily choose to be our authentic selves rather than being fake!
Let’s be the dads who are worshippers of God and living Spirit-led lives serving and pursuing God!
Let’s be the dads who avoid becoming fake and posers!
Let’s be the dads who pick up our cross daily and follow after Jesus!
Let’s be the dads who allow God to work in and through us so that He will receive the praise, the honor, and the glory as we witness the supernatural!
Let’s be the dads who allow God to work in and through us!
Let’s be the dads who allow God to work in and through us so that we can live our lives with purpose and meaning!
Let’s be the dads who experience joy and love beyond measure because we have chosen to live our lives for Jesus and with Jesus!
Let’s be the dads who pick up our cross daily and follow after Jesus in order to live our lives with purpose and meaning, overflowing with joy and love!
Let’s be the dads who don’t put it off till tomorrow but rather choose to do it now!
Let’s be the dads who decide not to waste any more time but choose to be fully committed to Jesus today!

Kill the Noise – Day 6

After my regular “dad” search to find our current devotional called “Kill the Noise“. Its description captured my attention when it spoke to “playing”, I over the years will say in meetings “let’s play pretend” which tends to allow people to come along and to make sure there isn’t any deception I tell them how it usually means “let’s play for real” so that we are on the same page and that most people will come along on playing pretend whereas others are hesitant to play for real. The description says it this way: “Too many people are playing at being Christians, and some haven’t yet taken even the first step of belief.” The key for us to grab hold of in order to be the dads God created us to be is that we need to draw closer to Jesus and allow Him into every aspect of our lives. Let’s be the dads who allow Jesus to be Lord of all of our lives so that we don’t end up where we discover that we never allowed Him to be Lord at all. Today’s intro speaks to us to be the dads that allow Jesus to continue to get closer to us when it says: “No matter where you are in your spiritual walk, Jesus wants you closer.” Let’s be the dads who are seeking God’s purpose, plan, and will for our lives! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that “He’s got a perfect plan for your life – a plan for purpose, peace, joy, and eternal life.” Let’s be the dads who choose to be authentic! Let’s be the dads who choose to be real! As this devotional says: “All it takes is you deciding that the poser life is not for you. You’re going to be fully committed!” Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you able? Remember all things are possible for those who believe! We will be the dads who are able as long as you believe, then God can do anything in your life! If you believe. you see, God is able to do all things, and he does them according to his plan and according to his purpose, and according to his will. That’s right, it takes faith!

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

‘We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ‘
Romans 7:14

‘because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ‘
Romans 8:2

‘Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’
Hebrews 4:14-16

Today as a new week begins and the celebration of Easter took place, I am so glad to get to receive God’s Word from today’s devotional and receive God’s truth, hope, love, and direction. I am so glad to get to spend time reading and receiving God’s Word before jumping in and hearing what today’s devotional has to teach us using these verses. I am so glad that God’s Word is alive and meets me right where I am at. Let’s be the dads who purpose and plan each day to receive from God’s Word what we are in need of hearing and learning so that we can live out our day in a way that will bring God the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s be the dads who think before we act! Let’s be the dads who reflect upon what we are considering doing against what God’s Word tells us! Let’s be the dads who are prepared by putting on the full armor of God! Let’s be the dads who are prepared by making sure we have our footing on the solid ground that is Jesus! Let’s be the dads who realize that the purpose of the law was and is to help us identify sin! Let’s be the dads who realize that the purpose of the law was and is to help us realize that we need a savior! Let’s be the dads who as we prepare for today choose to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord to help us get through today! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that the law is spiritual! Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that we are spiritual! Let’s be the dads who realize that we are in a battle for our souls and as the dads are in a position to stand for our wives, our kids, and the world around us because we are naturally worldly, self-reliant, carnal, and unspiritual and so we need to cling to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us each day rather than trying to do it in our own strength! Let’s cry out to Jesus and not fall into temptation! Let’s cling to Jesus so that we can be obedient to Him rather than serving under the control of sin!

Let’s be the dads who are new creations where the old ways are gone and the new ways are how we choose to live out our today! Let’s be the dads who have invited Jesus into our hearts and have allowed Him to create a new heart in us and as such enable us to be born again! Let’s be the dads who realize that it is thanks to Jesus that we are able to walk in freedom from the law of sin and of death because Jesus paid it all when He gave Himself once, for all, on the cross! Let’s be the dads who aren’t stuck in the old ways, in the dirt and muck of sin! Let’s be the dads who are free thanks to choosing Jesus as our Lord and Savior and walking out the rest of our lives in a way that will glorify Him! Let’s be the dads who choose to turn back to Jesus when we miss the mark and sin and ask for forgiveness in order to stay reconciled to God!

It is so amazing to get to look at different versions/translations of God’s Word and looking at today’s reading from Hebrews 4 in the Amplified version, we capture the following:

‘Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].’
Hebrews 4:14-16

Let’s be the dads who believe that Jesus is our High Priest, sitting in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and me! Let’s be the dads who put all of our hope and trust in Jesus! Let’s be the dads who when we face troubles or trials, cling to, hold fast to our confession of faith and absolute trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior! Let’s be the dads who remember how Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves! Let’s be the dads who trust Jesus enough to invite Him into every situation and ask Him to help us navigate this life we live! Let’s be the dads who ask Jesus to help us when we are feeling weak or tempted because we know that He has been through it Himself and was able to resist it, not committing any sin! Let’s be the dads who turn to Jesus and approach the throne of grace with confidence and without fear! Let’s be the dads who turn to Jesus and receive His mercy for our failures! Let’s be the dads who turn to Jesus and find His amazing grace to help us in our times of need with the right thing (appropriate blessing) at the right time (coming at just the right moment)!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Ryan Ries and The Whosoevers. (www.thewhosoevers.com and http://www.elcentronetwork.com)

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Stop Signs“

Let’s be the dads who are living our lives with the same attention or better than when we are driving so that we can spot God’s street signs and be able to respond accordingly!
Let’s be the dads who see God’s stop sign and stop!
Let’s be the dads who see God’s yield sign and yield!
Let’s be the dads who see God’s speed limit sign and make sure to keep pace!
Let’s be the dads who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings that try to stop us from the sin we are tempted to do!
Let’s be the dads who are so interested in honoring God that when the Holy Spirit stays stop we don’t just blow through them!
Let’s be the dads who wouldn’t drive down a street with 4-5 stop signs and just blow through them!
Let’s be the dads who similarly wouldn’t and won’t drive through 4-5 stop signs from the Holy Spirit as He tries to keep us from falling into temptation and sinning!
Let’s be the dads who are aware that we blew through a stop sign!
Let’s be the dads who stop ourselves from allowing the temptation to be greater than our desire to honor God!
Let’s be the dads who don’t want to grieve the Holy Spirit!
Let’s be the dads who are ready, willing, and able to pause when we realize that what we are thinking about doing is wrong and then listen to the Holy Spirit and stop!
Let’s be the dads who will listen to our conscience when it says “No” or “Stop”!
Let’s be the dads who will listen to the Holy Spirit when He says “No” or “Stop”!
Let’s be the dads who even though we want to do it will stop, will resist the devil so he will flee, and will choose to do what is honoring and pleasing to God by not doing it!
Today’s devotional uses the stop sign analogy too and how our flesh speaks to us in the moments of temptation:
- “Rarely will we find ourselves in a sinful situation without recognizing that what we are about to do is wrong. We’ve got our conscience and the Holy Spirit, and both are telling us, “Don’t do it!” The problem is we want to do it. So, no matter how many times we hear “Stop,” our flesh tells us, “Don’t stop! Punch it! Run the stop sign!”“
Let’s be the dads who will make good choices!
Let’s be the dads who will decide to do what is pleasing to God rather than pleasing to our flesh!
Let’s be the dads who choose to go beyond just talking the talk and start walking the walk by deciding to give up on sin!
Let’s be the dads who decide today that we want to give up on sin rather than give into sin!
Let’s be the dads who if or when we struggle, find accountability tools and people who can help us stay on track!
The temptations that are taking place aren’t any different for any of us!
- “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13
So what will it take for you to stop?
So what will it take for you to choose to take the way out God is offering you?
Let’s be the dads who choose to take God’s way out so that we can also choose to live a holy life and obey God’s Word!
Let’s be the dads who will hear what Jesus said when He replied: “All who love me will do what I say”
- ‘ “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave.’ — John 14:15-31
Don’t get discouraged! We are human and as such nobody is perfect!
Today’s devotional closes out with the following:
- “Now, before you get discouraged at your repeated failures, realize that not even Paul could live a totally holy life. In Romans 7, he is open about not doing the things he knows he should do, and doing the things he knows he shouldn’t do. But what we do see in him is a desire for holiness. You’re either a servant for God or a servant of Satan. Your bodies are either an instrument of sin or an instrument of the Holy Spirit. Ask God for the ability to see the stop signs in your life and obey them, and for the strength and courage to do whatever it takes to live the way He has called you to live. “
- “Fully Committed means deciding that you really do want to stop sinning. That sounds so obvious – “Ryan, I’m a Christian. Of course, I want to stop sinning.” But saying you want to stop sinning and actually wanting to stop sinning are two very different things. There are a lot of Christians who are all about giving up 80% of their sins or 95% of their sins or 99.9% of their sins. But going 99.9% in is no different than going 10% in. It still falls short of “all”. And “all” is the standard that God gives to us. As we saw with Paul, nobody can perfectly live up to the “all” standard. But we’ve got to want that perfection with all our hearts. Fully Committed means being willing to say one word whenever the temptation comes – “No”. Are you truly ready to live a life of “No” when it comes to sin?“

Kill the Noise – Day 5

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

‘Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”’
Matthew 16:24-28

‘So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.’
Galatians 5:16-26

‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. ‘
James 4:7-10

Wow, God is so good and His Word is true! God’s Word is alive and active and speaks to us right here and right now, right where we are at. Let’s be the dads who are ready to take a stand and pick up our own cross daily and follow Jesus! Let’s be the dads who are ready to lose our lives for the sake of Jesus so that we can walk in the truth and the confidence of eternal life with God! Let’s be the dads who are more interested in things that will last and so store up treasures in Heaven rather than here on earth where they can rust, rot, and be destroyed! Let’s be the dads who are so focused on eternity with God that we aren’t willing to sell our souls for the temporary, things of this world, and lost our grip on eternity with God! Let’s be the dads who are more focused on inviting Jesus into our lives and our hearts so that we can be led and taught by the Holy Spirit because there is nothing worth exchanging for our souls! Let’s be the dads who are focused on being ready for Jesus’ return! Let’s be the dads who are always ready because we don’t know the day or the time of His return! Let’s be the dads who are living our lives looking to accomplish the good works God has prepared in advance for us to accomplish so that when Jesus does return we will get to hear well done good and faithful servant and be able to receive the reward according to what we have done! Let’s be the dads who are ready for His return and pass it on to our wives, kids, and world so that if we are here or have already passed off the stage when Jesus comes back, there will be a legacy of people who will still be present and ready to be reunited with Jesus!

Let’s be the dads who walk by the Spirit! Let’s be the dads who are more interested in doing the work of God and walking by the Spirit than gratifying the desires of our flesh! Let’s be the dads who desire the ways of the Spirit more than the desires of the flesh because we know that they are contrary to one another! Let’s be the dads who desire the ways of the Spirit because we know that they are in conflict with the ways of the flesh! Let’s be the dads who won’t do whatever the flesh wants but instead will pursue and follow after the ways of the Holy Spirit! Let’s choose to be led by the Spirit and not find ourselves trapped under the law! Let’s be the dads who resist the temptations of the devil! Let’s be the dads who lean in and grab tighter to the Spirit so that we don’t find ourselves in the traps of the devil and acting in the obvious ways of the flesh like: “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Let’s be the dads who are desiring and choosing to live our lives in alignment with the Spirit so that we will inherit the kingdom of God. Let’s be the dads who are being filled with the Spirit daily to the point of getting to overflow the fruits of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control“, all of which there are no laws against. Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and nail the desires of the flesh to the cross! Let’s be the dads who nail the desires and the passions of the flesh to the cross! Let’s be the dads who choose to keep up with and in step with the Holy Spirit! Let’s be the dads who aren’t falling into the traps of conceit, provocation, and envy! Let’s choose to be living by the Spirit and overflowing in His fruits!

Let’s make our today count! Let’s choose to submit ourselves to God! Let’s choose to resist the devil so that he will flee! Let’s choose to come near to God so that He too will draw closer to us! Let’s invite Jesus into our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to clean us up from the inside out! Let’s invite Jesus into our lives so that we won’t need to be tossed around like the waves in the water being double-minded! Let’s humble ourselves so that in the right timing God can and will lift us up rather than living so proud that we get knocked down and find ourselves grieving and mourning because of the doom and gloom we find ourselves in.

Today’s devotional has been provided by Ryan Ries and The Whosoevers. (www.thewhosoevers.com and http://www.elcentronetwork.com)

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Shiny Objects“

Let’s be the dads who are more focused on the things that will last than getting trapped by the temporary and instant gratification of thinking it would be and could be fun and then discovering we have been snared and are now shackled by sin.
Let’s be the dads who aren’t fooled by the temporary “pleasure” or “enjoyment” that sin makes us think we are having and instead be focused on doing what is good and what is right in alignment to God’s purpose, plan, and will for our lives!
Today’s devotional starts on the topic of how we can get distracted or derailed by the impression that something will be fun just because we don’t feel the hurt or the pain in the moment when it says:
- “Sin is fun. Seriously, think about it for a second. If sin hurt when you were doing it, everybody would be living perfect lives. The devil would be off by himself all lonely and frustrated, because nobody would be giving in to temptation. But that’s not how it works, is it? Usually, sin feels really good. It is attractive and enjoyable. Often, it just takes a “Wanna try it?” for us to dive in headfirst.“
Let’s be the dads who are looking beyond the temptation and testing everything against God’s Word!
Let’s be the dads who aren’t tricked or lured into doing something that is against God’s will and way!
Let’s be like Jesus who knows God’s Word to the point when we are tempted by the devil we have a counter-response to ensure we don’t get caught or tripped up in his trap that he wants to use to kill, rob, and destroy us with!
Today’s devotional continues on the theme when it says:
- “Satan knows just the right “Wanna try it?” to suck each of us in. Just like dangling a shiny lure in front of a fish will make it bite, he knows he only needs to drop a sparkling temptation in our line of sight for us to chomp on the hook. He is the master fisherman and he’s been doing it for years. We’re just a bunch of curious fish looking for the next shiny object life gives us.“
Let’s be the dads who are on the lookout!
Let’s be the dads who are always on guard!
Let’s be the dads who put on the full armor of God so that we can take a stand!
Let’s be the dads who are prepared in and out of season!
Let’s be the dads who are so connected to God that we get the warnings before we get tripped up!
Let’s be the dads who are looking out for the best for us, our wives, our kids, and our world so that we don’t get distracted by shiny objects!
Let’s be the dads who are looking out for the best for us, our wives, our kids, and our world so that we can choose to live holy lives!
Let’s be the dads who are looking out for the best for us, our wives, our kids, and our world so that we can allow the overflow of the Holy Spirit in our lives pour into the lives of our loved ones!
Today’s devotional speaks to these areas as follows:
- “We must always be on the lookout for the devil’s shiny objects. God warned Cain before he killed his brother, Abel, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7). He’s telling Cain, “Dude, you’ve got to decide ahead of time that you want to do what’s right. That’s the biggest part of the battle. If you don’t, sin is just waiting to take you down.” Cain didn’t listen, and the world’s first murder was the result.“
- “When we decide to live holy lives – doing what God says is right and not doing what He says is wrong – God gives us all we need to make it happen. First, He gives us two feet. Remember Joseph? What did he do when Pharaoh’s wife was after him? He did the 100-yard dash and got himself out of there. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “Okay, I’m getting ready to give in. I’m out of here.” In fact, that’s a pro move.“
- “The second and greatest help God has given to us is the person of Holy Spirit. In Galatians, Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit – those things that will naturally grow in us as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. One part of the fruit he lists is self-control. The strongest self-control is not self-generated; it is Spirit-control, and it comes from the Holy Spirit. Quit trying to live the holy life on your own.“
Let’s choose to be the dads who are done with sinning and choosing to pursue God instead!
Let’s choose to be the dads who pursue God’s will and way so that we can live the good and joy-filled life He planned!
Let’s be the dads who are on our guard, standing firm on the foundation that is Jesus Christ!
Let’s be the dads who wait upon the Lord so that He can renew our strength!
Let’s be the dads who commit ourselves to God!
Today’s devotional closes with these two thoughts:
- “Are you ready to stop sinning and live how God wants you to live? Do you want the good and joy-filled life He has planned for you? Take time now to ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power to say “No” and the strength to run away when “No” isn’t working. Ask Him to help you to recognize the shiny objects that Satan is dangling in front of you, so you can stop getting hooked by temptation. Instead, look for what God has for your life. Satan’s goal is to reel you into sin, and sin leads to death. God, on the other hand, has something much better waiting for you. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).“
- “Fully Committed means being on your guard. We’ve all seen videos of people staring at their phones as they walk headfirst into a pole. That’s how most people are when it comes to temptation. They’re so caught up in the day-to-day of life that they are oblivious to the spiritual world around them. Then – BAM!! – they walk right into sin. You need to strive to be temptation-aware, knowing that the devil is looking to take you down. Bring the Holy Spirit in on it. He can see what you can’t. If you ask Him to be your spiritual eyes and ears, you’re guaranteed that temptation will never catch you off-guard.“

Kill the Noise – Day 4

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

‘For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’
Ephesians 3:14-21

‘I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.’
Psalms 77:11-15

God’s Word knows right where we are at! God’s Word is alive and active and sharper than a double-edged sword! So let’s not leave it at home, leave it behind, leave it collecting dust, let’s grab it and take it with us wherever we go! Let’s be the dads who are wanting to make a difference for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who want to shine brightly for the glory of God! Let’s be the dads who want to impact lives through our saltiness so that people will be touched, healed, and thirst for more of God! Let’s be the dads who God created and purposed for us to be!

Let’s be the dads who kneel before our Heavenly Father! Let’s be the dads who pray and spend time with our Heavenly Father so that He can fill us with the Holy Spirit for His glory! Let’s be the dads who are strengthened through His Spirit through our inner being! Let’s be the dads who have Jesus in our hearts through faith so that we can be the dads who are making a difference for our wives, our kids, and our world! Let’s be the dads who are rooted in love rather than fear, worry, or doubt! Let’s be the dads who are rooted and growing deeper in love so that God’s power is in us, working through us, and leading us into His plans, purposes, and will! Let’s be the dads who grasp how wide and long and high and deep Jesus’ love is for us! Let’s be the dads who know Jesus’ love that surpasses knowledge and by walking out our lives in relationship with Him are able to be filled with and overflow with His fullness! Let’s be the dads who grab onto how God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us! Let’s be the dads who turn to God, reach up to God, cry out to God in order to give Him the glory in Jesus’ name throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen!

Let’s be the dads who remember what God has done for us, our families, and our world! Let’s be the dads who remember the miracles of days gone by! Let’s be the dads who consider all His works and meditate on all of His mighty works! Let’s be the dads who are looking to how God’s ways are holy! Let’s be the dads who know how great our God is! Let’s be the dads who know that our God performs miracles! Let’s be the dads who know how God puts his power on display among the people! Let’s be the dads who are so drawn to God because His mighty arm has redeemed us! Let’s be the dads who take heart because we know that God’s mighty arm continues to redeem from generation to generation! Let’s be the dads who can take hold of the reality of how GREAT God’s love is for us, for our wives, for our kids, and for our world! Let’s take hold of the love of the Father and model it to the world around us! Let’s take hold of the love of the Father and His generosity in order to be able to model it in a way that points people to God so that in doing the good works He has prepared in advance for us to accomplish, we point people back to Him so that they will give God the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’ name!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Ryan Ries and The Whosoevers. (www.thewhosoevers.com and http://www.elcentronetwork.com)

For more information, please visit About The Publisher.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“A God of Miracles“

Let’s be the dads who are willing to stand with and for God, trusting Him even over the threats of man.
Let’s be the dads who are willing to do what God asks of us out of trust and faith in Him!
Let’s be the dads who will answer the call when it comes from God!
Let’s be the dads who obey God’s commands, instructions, and directions!
Today’s devotional on God performing miracles gets started with the following details of the fiery furnace with Daniel and his friends also known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:
Let’s be the dads who are looking at things from the right perspective!
Let’s be the dads who are willing to change perspectives in order to get a better view!
Today’s devotional shares three ways to look at life:
Let’s be the dads who choose to live life trusting in God!
Let’s be the dads who choose to trust that God is bigger than anything we are or could go through!
Let’s be the dads who choose to believe that God is and can supernaturally stick His hand into the natural world to help us because we are choosing to follow Him!
Let’s be the dads who choose to be fully committed to God!
Today’s devotional closes this way:
- “Fully Committed means taking risks. It means saying “Yes” when God asks you to do something, even though you’re afraid or you feel inadequate or you’re sure that you’re going to blow it. It’s recognizing that our supernatural God will do supernatural works through you when you trust Him to do them. I’m not saying that you’re going to go around calling down fire from heaven, although that’s certainly something that God could do. You just have to make sure that you don’t let your own perceived limitations or shortcomings stand in the way of the amazing things that God is ready to do in you and through you.”

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional: “Let It Go“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“Create Space“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“The Love That Drives Out Anger “

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“Perfect Love Drives Out Fear“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“Made for Love“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“Learn about the nature of God so we can have a deeply rooted trust in Him“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional: “Saying “yes” in the face of God’s “no”“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional: “How could I remain hopeful“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“You’re In The Palm Of My Hand“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“I Am Pleased With You“

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional lesson:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“ You Are My Beloved Child“

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“No Posers“

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:“Stop Signs“

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional: “Shiny Objects“

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses:

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional: “A God of Miracles“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Let It Go“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Create Space“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“The Love That Drives Out Anger “

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Perfect Love Drives Out Fear“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Made for Love“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Learn about the nature of God so we can have a deeply rooted trust in Him“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Saying “yes” in the face of God’s “no”“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“How could I remain hopeful“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“You’re In The Palm Of My Hand“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“I Am Pleased With You“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“ You Are My Beloved Child“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“No Posers“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Stop Signs“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Shiny Objects“

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“A God of Miracles“