Morning Fuel Devotional

Morning Fuel Devotional

Psalm 30:1 – Are You Praising God? /// Morning Fuel

David writes in Psalm 30:1. “I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.” Extol is a fancy word that simply means “exalt, lift up, praise.” When we want to praise God it is not JUST words, it’s not JUST singing, those are the ways we convey our praise. We use words to convey what is going on deep down inside of us. Let’s pretend your little league…

Psalm 19:11 – God’s Word Guides /// Morning Fuel

In Psalm 19, David talks about wow God speaks to us. And the main way he does this is through his Word. In verses 7-10, David gives some amazing ways that God’s word benefits us. Then when we get to verse 11, he says this: “Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” What he’s saying is that Scripture says things that we need to listen to in order for our life to go…

Psalm 23:6 – God’s Hesed For Us /// Morning Fuel

David writes in Psalm 23:6… 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The word for “mercy” is “hesed.” That is a BIG word. It can be translated as a combination of “lovingkindness, loyal love, kindness, mercy, grace, compassion.” Hesed is one-way love. It’s a stubborn love. What you do does not affect someone’s hesed for you. “Hesed” is what was shown to…

Psalm 23:4 – The Shepherd Is The Safest Place /// Morning Fuel

David writes in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” I read that the “Valley of the Shadow” is an actual place. It’s between Jerusalem and Jericho at the bottom of a canyon. The only sunlight is at noon, when the sun is directly above. Otherwise, it is filled with shadows. It is also very narrow, with walls on both sides. There are…

Psalm 19:8 – God’s Word Enlivens /// Morning Fuel

In Psalm 19 David talks about how God is speaking to us. And in verse 8, he says, “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;” He starts by saying that God’s Word (precepts) are RIGHT. I heard another pastor explain it this way: “They are morally right, practically right, universally right, they are right because it is the revelation of the god who is always right.” So…

Psalm 1:1 – Don’t Get Sucked Into Sin /// Morning Fuel – A Three Minute Devotional

Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” Notice the progression. First, there is WALKING with the wicked. Wicked is a generic word for evil. Walking shows you are moving with it. But then the person, “stands in the way of sinners.” The word “sinners” is a step further. It is no longer just doing evil, it is…

2 Timothy 4:3-4 – Don’t Get Distracted /// Morning Fuel – A Three Minute Devotional

Listen to what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4… “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Paul points out that there are a LOT of different messages out there. Many people will say things that others WANT to hear even if it is not…

2 Timothy 4:7 – Finish The Race /// Morning Fuel

In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Second Timothy is thought to be Paul’s last letter he wrote. Chapter 4 is the last chapter of the last letter. He would be martyred just a little bit later. So he is, in essence, giving a farewell message. And as he reflects on his life, he says, “I fought a good fight. I finished the race.” What…

Psalm 104:14 – We are Caretakers, Not Owners /// Morning Fuel

The psalmist writes in Psalm 104:14 – You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth When I was younger, if we found something on the ground that had clearly been lost, we would say, “Finders, keepers, losers, weepers.” Meaning, someone lost it, but I found it, so now it’s mine. Now I am willing to bet that none of you say that any more…

Colossians 3:23-24 – You Ultimately Work For God ///  Morning Fuel

I read an article in the Oregonian about a law enforcement officer that had to be disciplined for slacking off in his job. Get this, the name of the officer was Officer Doolittle! Anyways, Officer Doolittle was a K-9 handler for the West Linn police department and during the entirety of 2012-2013 he responded to ONE call! The officer was eventually forced to retire. Now contrast that with what Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work heartily,…

Ephesians 4:2 – How To Glorify God In Secular Work /// Morning Fuel

How do we glorify God in secular work? How does a stay-at-home mom glorify God with her life? How does an accountant? A retired person? A truck driver? To get a better idea of this, let’s look at one verse in Ephesians… In chapter 4:2, Paul tells us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” In other words, ACTIONS. Actions are what glorify God. It’s…