On this Mother’s Day, let us remember and celebrate our own mother’s – whether they are still alive or not, and let us remember the mothers that have given birth to our children. I know that many of you will.

To honor her, you may want to buy Mother’s Day gift, or Mother’s Day flowers, or take her to her favorite restaurant.

If your mother is a Christian that loves God and seeks to obey Him, you have a blessed mother indeed. Be sure to honor her today and let her know you are thinking of her and thank her for raising you. Honoring our parents is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12), and God promises to bless those who do with a long life.

If you were raised in church because your parents took you, what a blessing it is to be able to understand many of the truths of the Bible since you were very young. Many have never had that privilege. Hopefully, you also heard how to be saved and have received Christ into your heart because of their influence.

Women today need to be thanked for the many sacrifices they often made because of us when we were young. It is easy to forget about them as we get older.

A word to any women who may read this. Godly women – those who follow Christ and the Bible – need to remember what God says is important. Life is not always easy – or fair – but if you know God through His Son – He is there to help as you serve Him. Also, Proverbs 31:30 tells us which women are truly worthy of praise: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”

Mothers – may God bless you.

Certainly, one of the hardest things to control at all times is the tongue. It is especially true when we get upset at someone – whether a co-worker, a store clerk, a spouse, or a child.

Yet, our Savior wants His children to exhibit control in that area as well. Either our tongues are under His control, or they are not. In fact, if He is not helping you control your tongue, then there is no telling what might come out of it if you are irritated by someone.

Proverbs 18:20,21 tells us that a person will reap what they sow with their tongue: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.“ Chances are that most people do not want to reap what they have sown with their words.

The One that we must be most concerned about pleasing with our speech is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12:36,37, He tells us that He watches over what we say: “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

The Lord gives us instruction on how we should use our tongues. He tells us in Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.“

Are you using your tongue to edify others? If not, are you willing to ask God to help control your tongue?

Immediately after Jesus told the woman caught in adultery “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” He gave the words of this verse to her and to all those around Him.

These verses reveal that God does not give forgiveness to those who plan to go on sinning after they make a profession of faith. He seeks repentance – a change of heart and mind toward sin – with a whole-hearted desire to serve Him.

If He did not have such expectations, there would be no point in making us “new creatures” in Christ. At true salvation (yes, there are many who only think they have it – but do not) God gives to the believer everything needed for victory over sin.

The text verse says that the followers of Christ “shall not walk in darkness.” “Old things are passed away.” However, God always gives a choice. Walking in sin can no longer satisfy and He will chasten those who continue to rebel against His leading.

To believers who seek to draw nigh to God and follow Him, He promises to give them “the light of life.” It refers to the guidance of His Spirit through this dark world, and wisdom to know how to please God.

When a Christian strays from God’s chosen path – even a little bit, they lose His guidance, peace, and joy – and other fruits of the Spirit. They start walking in darkness – alone without His leading. Getting right, confessing your sin with a true desire to serve Him faithfully, is the key to returning to the light God wants to give you every day.

This verse was written to describe an event that took place when Jesus was just 12 years old. The Bible gives very little information about this time in His life, but this one verse tells us much about Him.

From it, it can be gathered that Jesus was serious in His pre-teen and teen years. He certainly was advanced in His knowledge about the Bible and it caught the eyes of the doctors of Bible law.

He was also single-minded. He was focused on doing what the Father wanted. It may be doubted that He had much time for fun and games like others His human age.

Jesus’ reply was a respectful and gentle rebuke to His parents. He reminded them that He came for one purpose – to do his Father’s will. In Psalm 40:7,8, a prophecy of Christ, we are told: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

The Bible is very clear that Jesus did His Father’s will while He was on earth – and not His own. In John 4:34, Jesus revealed that it was the doing of His Father’s will that energized Him: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” Then again, in John 6:38, He reveals that He did not come to earth to do what He wanted: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

If we, as Christians, truly want to be like Jesus (true disciples), then we also must be single-minded and focused on doing one thing – the will of the Father. Yes, we will fail at times. By the grace of God, though, we can get up again instead of wallowing in self-pity and seek His face for help. He is ready to give all we need to serve Him as we should.

In these verses, the apostle Paul talks about two different kinds of righteousness. Although both are important, only one of them will enable an individual to go to Heaven.

First, he mentions “God’s righteousness.” Secondly, he mentions “their own righteousness.”

God’s righteousness is perfect. No human can attain it, because there is no sin or shortcomings with His righteousness. It is blameless.

“Their own righteousness” is the kind that man generates. It is flawed because of sin and an inability to follow God’s laws perfectly. This kind falls short of what God demands of us. Man attempts to generate “their own righteousness” many ways, including religious reform, church membership, baptism, philanthropic deeds – even by becoming ordained! But God says it is far insufficient of the righteousness He demands.

Probably the most religious people on earth were the Pharisees. Although not perfect, they not only memorized the books of Moses, they also tried to keep them. Jesus even credited them with tithing of the spices in their gardens. Even Paul (who was a Pharisee before salvation), in his testimony, said that he was blameless as far as keeping the law was concerned – before he was saved: “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:6). Despite it, he was not saved.

Jesus, however, made it clear that the righteousness that comes from trying to keep the law is insufficient to earn forgiveness and eternal life. In Matthew 5:20, He said: “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

A sinner (all people) can get the “righteousness of God” by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Ask Him for forgiveness of your sin and thank Him for dying for you to pay for them. When you ask Him for salvation and are willing to turn from your sin to do God’s will, God puts it on your account in Heaven that you have the “righteousness of God.”

There are many people today that believe God is not in control, or that He is not as powerful as the Bible indicates. To remind us of what He is like and how powerful He is, He invites us to “remember the former things of old.”

Now the only record of what happened in “old” times, which often refers to “ancient” times – before the flood or even at Creation – is found in the Bible. He says to remember them – He created everything that exists and He did it in six days. As we are reminded of this, there should be no doubt about His power.

Twice He says: “I am God.” He also declares “there is none like me.” Some religions think that God and Satan are equal, but opposite. Absolutely not. Although the Wicked One is one of the most powerful beings other than God – he is much less powerful than God. Thank God for that. It is why His grace is sufficient in every trial!

These verses also show that God knows what will happen at all times. There is nothing that catches Him by surprise. He knows both the end of everything and He knows all things that have not happened yet.

Finally, these two verses teach that God has a plan: “my counsel.” He also declares that there is nothing that can stop it – even though He has alloted much time to its fulfillment. The Book of Revelation reveals what is coming soon and the victory He will have in the end (not far away).

God does what He wants. He said: “I will do all my pleasure.” He answers to no one. The Bible teaches us that what He does is always in love – even if we do not understand it now. Remember, He is God, not you.

It also means that if we want His blessing, His plan must be followed. That plan is in the Bible. Are you following it?

It is very comforting to know that not only does our Lord hear and see, punishes the wicked, but He also delivers the righteous. This verse also mentions that our God hears our prayers.

It is important for us to realize that we need to keep on praying when trouble is encountered. We must realize, though, that God may have several purposes in mind when life becomes difficult. Most likely, we may never even have a clue (at least not at first) as to what God is doing.

Realize that God does not have to give us a reason. Even though God speaks in five chapters to Job (38-42), God never tells him why. It is for our instruction. Sometimes, it may be so that other people around us may see how a Christian should react to problems.

We have the promise, in Romans 8:28, that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” If God does not answer right away, be sure that He has a purpose in the delay.

On the other hand, the one praying might not be on praying ground. The Bible says that He delivers “the righteous.” In the Bible, the righteous are those who are pleasing to God; saved and pleasing God.

No matter what happens, if we want God to work in our life – to give victory, power, deliverance, etc., we need to be doing His will. His will must always be measured by what the Bible says – not by what we think. Otherwise, you can expect Heaven to remain silent when you need Him most.

In the previous two devotionals, I talked about how God sees and hears what His children do and go through. He also sees what the wicked do – all the time.

Two things enable Him to do this: His omnipresence and His omniscience. Not only is He present everywhere, but He also knows everything about everything – and everyone. He also knows the future. The Internet does not hold a candle to what He knows about everyone.

Just because God does not act immediately against evil does not mean that He never will. The truth is that our timetable is not His timetable. He will judge.

His great patience works two ways: First, He wants to save all – no exceptions. Second, the day of judgment is coming: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). He is not in a hurry. He can wait until the wicked die – He has all eternity to judge and punish the wicked – if they do not repent.

One reason that God waits to punish the wicked is because He desires to show mercy rather than judgment. It is our trust in Him that enables us to wait for Him to act, even when we feel we should not wait but get revenge. If we do not see it in our lifetime – be sure that it will come for the wicked and the unsaved. His promises cannot fail.

To the wicked – the unsaved – and those who act and live wickedly, Jesus said: “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:5).

Unfaithful believers are also warned: “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters” (Jer. 17:13).

Believers can have comfort in knowing that He sees us. There is no place we can go to hide from His eyes. God saw Jonah in the whale’s belly in the ocean depths.

In this verse, we understand that He also hears us when we call unto Him. He not only hears when we audibly talk to Him, but He can also hear the cry of the heart when not a word is spoken.

Some people like to light candles when they pray. Other religions believe they must bang drums to get their god’s attention before they pray. Still others have prayer wheels that supposedly keep repeating their prayers. Thank God, the born-again believer does not need to do any of that.

He is our Father and He cares for all His children. He loves us all infinitely.

Even though He promises to hear, we must remember that He does have some expectations of us. By His love and grace, He redeemed us from the penalty of our sin. We told Him that we were sorry for our disobedience and asked Him to forgive us and save us. Our redemption cost God the life of His Son. Although He gives us free will, out of thankfulness we ought to love and serve Him.

Many believers pray but receive few answers. It is often because they are disobedient. The verse above reveals His willingness to hear. If you have no answers to your prayers, it might be because you are out of His will.

The joy of the believer comes in the doing of His will and walking close to Him in daily fellowship. I John 3:22 tells us: “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in has sight.”

If you are not getting answers to prayer now, the one prayer He will hear is the prayer of confession. If you are serious, He will hear that prayer and fellowship will be restored.

Psalm 34 is an excellent chapter to read when you need comfort. It reminds us of many things that will help comfort your soul when facing troubles.

Verse 15 reminds us that God sees everything that you, as a believer, face in this life. There is nothing that you do for Him, or that happens to you, that He does not know about.

Some hymns that are sung in churches imply that you will understand why everything that happened to you or to those around you – such as loved ones. While it may sound good, it is not Biblical.

The Bible does tell us that we will be rewarded for all we faithfully do for Him, in His Name, and for His glory. We are also told that if we suffer loss for His Name, that He will reward us abundantly for it. Praise His Name! Sometimes, He just wants us to trust Him when things go right and when they don’t (read Job).

I seriously doubt that we will care much about what happened down here after we see our Savior and the glorious surroundings of Heaven. We will also be very excited to see our loved ones again – as well as some of the well-known saints that have gone before us.

For those who faithfully serve Him here, He has promised that all things will be for good (Romans 8:28). If we are willing to be His servant and witness, then we can be assured that sometimes the things that happen to us are also for the benefit of others we come in contact with.

He knows at all times not only what you face, and He also knows what you feel and what you can handle. Somewhere, though, and somehow, He will teach us not to rely on our own limits but on His infinite grace – which is always sufficient – all the way to glory.