“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 KJV Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. Sometimes I think about the pandemic and whether or not it was brought on by God or by Satan. I am not sure the origin of the pandemic. Yet, I do know that many people have been touched by it. Regardless of the origin, I wonder if God is using the pandemic to give people a chance to grow closer to Him. I wonder if it is like a “last chance motivator” to get our affairs in order and get on the right path. And, yes, either way, I can’t wait for it to be over. I will be glad when the difficulties of the pandemic will be over. What are your thoughts? I do believe that God either initiates or allows difficult things to happen, so that we feel a warning. It could be a “close call” in a health matter. Or, it could be a global pandemic, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It could be many different things. Whatever the affliction or struggle, we sometimes realize that there is a lesson in it for us. That lesson could be that we need to learn patience or that we need to learn to praise God even during difficult times. Although, that lesson could be that we need to learn to follow God’s Word and to grow closer to Him. Our difficult time may be to remind us that we have something buried in our life that needs forgiveness. I don’t know about you, but I am way over the pandemic. I am ready to have a mask free life. Yet, if God is using this time to give us motivation to get “right with Him”, then we must still need time. This might be difficult to understand. I mean, we are all tired of the pandemic. We know that. God is a loving God. We know that. So, why can’t it just be over already? Well, if we go back to the idea that the pandemic may be a warning, we may be able to understand it a little better. Have you ever given a child a warning, like, “When I count down from twenty to zero your toys better be picked up or you will be grounded”? Then, you start counting down. And, if the child isn’t acting right away, you start counting slower in order to give that child a better chance to finish. Yes. I have done that as well. I wanted to give that child every chance to succeed within the restrictions I had set. It is the same way with God. God wants us to succeed, so He will give us many chances and as much leeway as possible in order to succeed. So, if the pandemic is a warning of “you better get right with God by the time this pandemic is over or you will be sorry”, then God is probably letting the pandemic continue to give even more people a chance to “get right with Him”. Are you right with God? If the answer is “yes”, great! If the answer is “no’, now is the time to get right with Him. So, what can we do? We can pray. We can pray that more and more people, ourselves included, do what is necessary to get right with God. Yes, we want the pandemic to be over. But that might not be the prayer we should be praying, maybe the prayer should be that as many people as possible use this time to get right with God. What do you think? * * * * * * * * * * * * * Heavenly Father, Thank you for your holy Word. Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and loving us so much. Help us to remember that when we are going through difficult times, often there are lessons to be learned or good to come out of it. Help us to not just pray for the difficulty to stop, but for the lessons to be learned and for the good to come. Help us to be right with you. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. Reflective Questions for 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV): *What does 2 Peter 3:9 mean to me? *Am I right with God? *Do I feel that the pandemic is from God or from Satan? *Is the pandemic a warning or motivation to get “right with God”? *Am I praying for the pandemic to be over or for people to get “right with God”? Now, it is your turn. I would like to know your thoughts. Please, comment below or feel free to contact me. Also, if you haven't already, and you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider signing up to receive it in your inbox. Thank you.
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“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.”
Proverbs 18:15 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are well. It seems a little strange to write something after the Lord’s Prayer Series. Part of me, finds it difficult to “beat” a topic such as that. However, all of God’s Word is important and deserves acknowledgement. So, today’s topic is knowledge. I figured, since it is the beginning of the school year for many, knowledge would be a great topic to explore. The Holy Bible has many verses on knowledge. This week’s verse is Proverbs 18:15. First of all, I looked up “prudent” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. It shows four different definitions for prudent. The one I think fits the best is the following: “characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence: such as a: marked by wisdom or judiciousness” God considers knowledge important. Here, the words in Proverbs 18:15, say that “the heart of the prudent getteth knowledge”. So, to me, God is saying that those who are wise and judicious (or even those who want to be wise and judicious) learn. They know the importance of knowledge. So, they do what is necessary to learn as much as they can and value education. If that means study, they study. If that means, read, they read. If that means ask questions, they ask questions. If that means, taking notes, they take notes. Prudent people do what they need to do to learn. I don’t know for sure the Lord’s meaning behind the second part of this verse. Maybe it is meant to mean something different to everyone. I like that it states, “…and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” The word “ear” stands out for me. I am used to hearing that a person’s “heart” seeks knowledge. People often talk about their “heart’s dream” or “passions of the heart” or whatever. Heart is mentioned quite a bit about things we seek, and we do see the “heart” mentioned in the first part of this verse. Yet, in the second part of the verse it is the “ear” that is mentioned. So, to me, the second part of Proverbs 18:15 highlights the importance of listening. Not everyone possesses skills to listen or values the importance of listening. However, I think that this verse shows its importance. I don’t think the word “ear” would have been used and related to wisdom, if listening wasn’t important. Not only that, but one can learn more by listening than by speaking. I also think that if one is listening, one is showing that one is willing to learn. This isn’t always true when one is talking. One can say that one wants to learn, but if one is listening, one is showing that one is willing to learn. It may also be a reminder that one would be wiser to ask questions and remember to listen to the answer when one is seeking answers. Sometimes, we want answers, so we ask questions, plead for answers, and pray for help, yet we forget to actually stop and listen for the answers. Or, if God or someone else tries to give us answers, we say, “yeah, but…” and don’t really listen. Through our behavior, it seems like we don’t really want answers. We don’t want to learn. We need to remember that listening is an important part of learning. Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us words to live by. Thank you for showing us the importance of learning and knowledge. Help us to seek knowledge all the days of our life. Also, help us to remember that listening is an important skill and an important part of learning. I thank you and praise you for your words of wisdom and life. Help us to learn all that you want us to learn. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for Proverbs 18:15 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 18:15 mean to me? *What are my thoughts about learning? *Do I value knowledge? *Do I seek out knowledge? *Do I pray and ask God what He wants me to know or learn? *Do I remember to listen, especially when I am searching for answers? Now, it is your turn. I value you being here and value your thoughts. Please, let me know what you think. Also, if you enjoy reading the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider signing up to receive it in your inbox. (Just check the "faith box" as you sign up. Thank you.  “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:13 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? This verse is sort of a bottom line, summary, of our prayer to God and this post is the last post in this Lord’s Prayer devotion series. I hope it has blessed you in some way to ponder the words of the Lord’s Prayer more closely and in depth. I pray that you pray these words and not recite them. I pray that I do the same. I believe that every word in the Bible means something and is meant to be there. However, to be honest, I am not sure why “And lead us not into temptation” is part of this prayer. I trust Jesus, and wouldn’t question their worth. It just sounds kind of strange, knowing that our Father in Heaven is a loving God. He wants the best for us and it is strange asking Him not to “lead us into temptation.” Unless, maybe it is saying not to harden our hearts, as He did Pharaoh’s when we go against His will, but to give us more chances and more direction. Often, once our heart is hardened and our mind is closed, we spiral downhill and we are not only tempted but sin in many ways. What do you think? After consulting a friend, praying, and rereading this verse, I believe that the word “lead” is the important word in this phrase. We are to put our trust in God and let Him lead us. We are to be obedient to His will and not try to do things our own way. Trust me, the latter isn’t good. We are often our own worst enemy. Yet, God is good and will lead us away from temptation if we ask and put our trust in Him. I understand the part about, “but deliver us from evil.” I have prayed that many times. I want to do God’s will and I don’t want anything evil to come near me, tempt me, or hurt me in anyway. The last part of this verse is a powerful one. I believe that it is meant for us to acknowledge that we are nothing without God and that everything we do should be for God and to grow His kingdom. I believe that it is meant to acknowledge that we pray and we do what we do as Christians, because we want to be of the kingdom of God and not of the world. That is our focus. We are called to acknowledge and understand that God has the power to help us, to hurt us, to give us life, to give us death, to move mountains, to heal us, to create everything from nothing, to destroy everything, as well as to love us and provide for us unconditionally or conditionally. Acknowledging God’s power also is intended to assure us that we can put our faith in Him fully and that we are to fear Him in a loving way and be obedient to Him. We are His creations. We are His servants. We are His children. We are called to give Him the glory. And, I believe as Christians, that this isn’t a chore or a task given to us by a master, but an act of love. We want to do these things. We know that God loves us and we want to love Him back. Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending us Jesus, your only begotten Son, to be our teacher, our savior, and our ultimate role model. Thank you for these words on how to pray. Help us to pray them and not just recite them without thought or feeling. Help us to strive to build, to pray for, and to uplift your kingdom. Help us to acknowledge your ultimate power and to fear you and love you in the most loving and obedient way. Help us to give you the glory in all that we do and not do or seek our own glory. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:13 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:13 mean to me? *Do I pray these words or recite these words? *Have I truly pondered or prayed about the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I pray for God’s kingdom and try to uplift it and grow it? *What can I do to uplift and grow God’s kingdom? *Do I acknowledge God’s power? *Do I both fear God and have faith in Him, knowing that He has the power to help me or hurt me? *Do I give God the glory in all I do or do I seek the praise and the credit for myself?  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? Today’s blog post topic is forgiveness. It isn’t only forgiveness, but the sentence of the Lord’s Prayer in which Jesus tells us to forgive others. How many times have you said the Lord’s Prayer and then not forgiven someone? I think that asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness are often difficult for people. I think some people have a misconception about forgiveness. They might think that forgiveness condones the action, encourages the action, or some how makes the action okay. They might think that forgiveness means that everything will go back to the way it was before the action. That isn’t necessarily true either. Actions have logical consequences whether we forgive others or not. For example, if someone steals from you, you can forgive him or her, but that doesn’t mean that you will instantly trust him or her as if they have never stolen before. That trust will probably have to be earned. To me, the forgiveness is separate. What does forgiveness mean to you? To me, forgiveness means that you release yourself from the feelings that you have in trying to harbor powerful negative feelings in the situation. It frees you from feeling the need to take vengeance in the situation. It admits that it is God’s place and not yours to take vengeance and show wrath. Forgiveness in this way is for the forgiver. Not forgiving someone often puts more of a hold on you than it does on the perpetrating party. We often see how people who hurt us, may not feel as bad as we do. By harboring the hate, the want for vengeance, the ideas of retaliation, and the refusal to forgive, we are hurting ourselves. It effects not only our emotional life, but also our physical and spiritual lives as well. Stress can kill and all that ill will that we harbor inside of us gets turned back to us and wrecks havoc on us. Don’t get me wrong; forgiveness also helps the offending party. It gives him or her hope and encouragement. It helps him or her to feel that he or she is not doomed to death. It helps him or her to forgive him or herself and to ask forgiveness from God. Think about it. How do you feel when someone has forgiven you? More importantly, how do you feel when God has forgiven you? We might say, “Well, I can forgive people for little things, but I don’t know if I can forgive people for big things, like abuse and murder.” Yet, we need to look closely to Jesus’ words. He doesn’t say, “Forgive people if they do little things.” He says, “Forgive our debtors.” Forgiveness may be difficult. However, we wouldn’t be called to do it if it wasn’t something that we couldn’t do. We also need to remember that we can’t do anything without God’s help, so forgiveness shouldn’t be any different. We are called to ask God for help in forgiving others, just as we are called to ask God’s help in doing anything. In this short verse, Jesus uses the word “as” here. I believe that this is a reminder to ask God for forgiveness and acknowledgement that it is only fair that God treats us like we treat others. If we treat others well, God is more inclined to treat us well. If we forgive others, God is more inclined to forgive us. It is like that with people too. If we smile at someone, they are more inclined to smile back. If we encourage someone, they are more inclined to encourage us back. So, with this verse, we are praying that when or while we forgive others, God will also forgive us. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we all learned to ask forgiveness and give it better? (I like how God always wants what is best for us and we can see it in every word He gives us!) Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love. Thank you for always wanting the best for us: your children and creations. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus to be our Lord, our Savior, and our Teacher. Thank you for these words in the Lord’s Prayer. Help us to pray them and live by them whole-heartedly. Help us to forgive others, even when it is difficult. I ask you this through Jesus, your Son. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:12 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:12 mean to me? *What does forgiveness mean to me? *Do I recite these words or pray these words? *Do I forgive others? *Do I ask God’s help to forgive others? *Do I ask God’s forgiveness? Now, it is your turn. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Please, share how you like this post and what Matthew 6:12 means to you. If you don't want to share with everyone, feel free to contact me. Thank you for reading. P.S.- - If you haven't read the other posts in the Lord's Prayer series, you may want to read those as well. * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 1 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 2 * Lord's Prayer Series - - Post 3  “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you? I hope you are doing well. This is a rather short verse, yet it tells us quite a bit. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are asking God to give us what we need for the day and to show us His will for us for the day. We as humans are very needy. Thankfully, Our Father in heaven wants to give us what we need. He also wants us to ask Him for our needs, to acknowledge that we can’t provide our needs without Him, and trust that He will provide our needs for us. Jesus uses the word “bread” in Matthew 6:11 and obviously, I don’t know for sure his meaning. Yet, I believe that he is referring to more than food. I believe that he is referring to everything that we need to get through the day and to do the things that God wants us to do in that day. They also refer to physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things. Physical things might be food, water, sleep, rest, shelter, and clothing. It might also include a job or income so that these things can be earned. Emotional, spiritual, and intellectual things might include the knowledge of what God calls us to do and the willingness, courage, and obedience to do what God calls us to do. They may also include things like giving us the knowledge, strength, willingness, courage, and obedience to stay away from sin and temptation during the day. These words by Jesus also remind us that we are to pray daily. The words don’t say, “Give us our weekly bread or our monthly bread.” We are to go to God daily in prayer and ask for His will to be done and for our needs to be provided for everyday. Prayer is important and it is important to pray every day. These words also remind us to only worry about one day at a time. Again, Jesus uses words like “this day” and “daily bread.” He doesn’t say that we should pray for or about things that are going to happen next week, next month, or next year, or even tomorrow. We are to pray daily for what we need for each day. It is also interesting to note, that Jesus doesn’t say anything about the “desires of our heart” here. He doesn’t say anything about wants. It is needs that are mentioned. (No daily “frosting” here.) Heavenly Father, Thank you for being our Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus to us to not only be our savior, but to be our ultimate teacher and role model. Thank you for giving us the Lord’s Prayer through Jesus. Please, help us to live according to the words that Jesus gave us. Help us to pray to you and come to you daily for our daily needs. Help us to not only ask you, but to trust you to provide what we need each day to do the things you want us to do each day and to live in the way that you want us to live each day. Help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and not just recite it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:11 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:11 mean to me? *Do I pray to God daily? *Do I ask for my needs every day? *Do I trust that God will provide for me daily? *Do I ask what God’s will is for me each day and ask that He gives me the courage, skill, and obedience to do His will for me each day? *Do I take one day at a time or worry about things in the future? Now, it is your turn. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts. Comment below or feel free to contact me. Thank you. I pray someone is blessed by this.  “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 (KJV) Hi friends, Last week, I started a series on the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus. We may say or recite the Lord’s Prayer, but do we pray it? Do we think about the words? Do we live by the words? “Thy kingdom come.” What does that mean to you? We all get something out of the Bible and out of a prayer. God has a special message for each of us. I read commentaries and each says something different. It means something different to each of us. However, it means the same also. That is why I pray before I write. I want God’s message and not my own message. We are called to grow God’s kingdom and to pray for it. There are believers, unbelievers, and people who are lukewarm in the middle. Yet, we are called to encourage belief and to grow God’s community of believers. We are called to believe ourselves and help others to believe. We are called to be part of God’s kingdom and not the “kingdom of the world” or “Satan’s kingdom” or whatever we want to call the evilness of the world. So, we have heard of the second coming of Jesus and how He will rule. Is that what Jesus is talking about here? Um. I don’t think it is just that. It may be part of it. Yet, to me, it means that we are to pray for and be a part of God’s kingdom now and forever, here and in life everlasting. Our choice is to be of this world or of God. We are also called to not only submit to God’s will, but to want it. We are called to ask for it. We are called to acknowledge it. We are called to do it. In so doing, we are acknowledging that we are part of God’s kingdom and willingly want to do His will here on earth and once we get in heaven. And, why would we do all this? Why would we want to have God’s will instead of our own? Love! We want this, because we love God and we know that He loves us. We know that God’s way and God’s plan is better than anything we can plan. It all comes down to love and thanksgiving. If we have a place in God’s kingdom here on earth, we will be rewarded with a place in God’s kingdom in heaven. What a beautiful reward in which to look forward! Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and creating us. Thank you for sending us your Son, Jesus, who taught us how to pray. Thank you for inviting us and calling us to be part of your kingdom on earth and in heaven. Help us to pray for your will and your kingdom. Help us to be like Jesus, our ultimate role model, in our efforts to pray, to follow your will, and to grow your kingdom. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:10 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:10 mean to me? *Do I want to be part of God’s kingdom, part of the world’s kingdom, or part of my own kingdom? (Be honest.) *Do I ask God to let His will be done or ask that my will be done? *Do I recite the Lord’s Prayer or do I pray it? *What can I do to better live the Lord’s Prayer? *What can I do to help grow and pray for God’s kingdom? Now, it is your turn. I would like to hear your thoughts. Please, leave me a comment. Thank you. God bless!  “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
Matthew 6:9 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? This week, I am starting a series of devotions based upon the verses of the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus. I pray that God gives me the words to give you during these special devotions. (Actually, I pray that God gives me the words for every post.) Have you ever looked at the words of the Lord’s Prayer a verse at a time and carefully pondered their meaning? I encourage you to do so. So, let’s look at the first ten words of the Lord’s Prayer in which Jesus gave us to pray. What do they mean to you? “Our Father which art in heaven….” Do you consider God to be your Heavenly Father? Do you treat Him as a Father above any earthly father? Do you go to Him as a child would to a good and faithful father? Do you love Him as you would a beloved part of your family? Do you acknowledge that He is the one who created you and that you wouldn’t have been born without His love for you? “…Hallowed be thy name.” Do you hallow God’s name? Do you treat His name as above all others and give it the respect God deserves? I hear God’s name taken in vain quite often. Swearing of all sorts seems to be a growing cultural habit. Yet, this particular type of swear is more repulsive than others. We don’t go around saying, “John damn it” or “Jane damn it.” Yet, we do have people going around taking the Lord’s name in vain. How would we feel if it people started taking our name in vain? My guess is that we wouldn’t like it. People are pretty touchy. (That is why we have so much trouble with political correctness, etc.) So, if we wouldn’t like it if people took our name in vain, why are we complacent when people take our Heavenly Father’s name in vain? Why do some of us take our Heavenly Father’s name in vain? Jesus himself told us that we are called to treat and acknowledge our God as our Heavenly Father. We are to keep His name holy. We are called to give God, our Heavenly Father, with the love, reverence, and respect that He deserves. And, here is the kicker, quite frankly, if we are the Christians that we pledge to be, we shouldn’t need to be told by Jesus or anyone else to do all this. We should love God, because He is who He is! We should hallow His name, because He is the most beloved out of our entire beloved, He is the most holy out of the entire holy. We should respect Him and love Him, because He first loved us. We should keep His name hallowed, because we love Him so. Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us and creating us. Thank you for sending your only begotten Son, Jesus, to be our savior and to be our ultimate role model. Thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the way and to intercede for us and pray for us when we can’t for ourselves. Thank you for giving us your Word in scriptures to guide us and show us the way to you. Help us to love you, to pray to you, to respect you, to acknowledge you, and to obey you. Help us to keep your name holy. Help us to pray the Lord’s Prayer and not just recite it. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Matthew 6:9 (KJV): *What does Matthew 6:9 mean to me? *Do I recite the Lord’s Prayer or do I pray the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I think about and ponder the words of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I follow and heed the words of the Lord’s Prayer? *Do I acknowledge, love, and respect God as my Heavenly Father? *Do I keep God’s name holy? *Am I repulsed when someone else doesn’t love God or keep His name holy? *Do I say something when someone doesn’t keep our Heavenly Father’s name holy? *How would I feel if someone took my name in vain? *How would I feel if my children didn’t love me or honor me, as they should? *How would I feel if my loved ones didn’t love me in return as I thought they should? Now, it is your turn. I would like to know your thoughts. Let me know in the comments. Thank you. I appreciate you being here and taking the time to read my posts. 
“The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.” Proverbs 22:13 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? There have been many times when I haven’t done things, because I didn’t think that I could do them. They seemed too difficult for me. I didn’t think I had the skills, the patience, the knowledge, the strength, or the financial means to do them. What about you? Have you ever felt like there were things that you couldn’t do that you wanted to do? Were there things that you didn’t do, because you didn’t think you could do them? This verse in Proverbs convicts me of laziness. Most, if not all, the things that I didn’t do because I didn’t think I could were because I was too lazy to do the hard work to carry them out. I was afraid, overwhelmed, or just ignorant of a way to succeed. However, the biggest conviction above and beyond laziness is that I didn’t have the faith that God would provide a way and that God would be with me through it all. I don’t know if I didn’t realize this before or didn’t understand it. I learn something new every time I read the Bible. I may have glossed over this verse before. If I had really understood it, maybe I would have tackled more or at least given them more of an effort, before I dismissed them as being too hard. As humans, it may be in our nature to look at things as too difficult before we even give them a chance. We may just fear that “there is a lion in the street” or we may say that because it sounds like it would be a good excuse to not put the work in to accomplish something. It may seem like a lion, but only be a sweet little kitten. We don’t even know if we can accomplish something or if it beyond our means, if we don’t try something. I really hope that the next time I am faced with what I feel is a difficult or impossible task that I remember the words in Proverbs 22:13 and remember that God is with me always. It may seem like the convictions that I find in these words are a bad thing. Most people don’t like to be convicted. Often conviction leads to discomfort, lack of freedom, punishment, or sadness. Yet, I find comfort and hope in these words. It is like, now that I realize what I was doing, I can change it. I can now knowingly look to God with my troubles instead of dismissing something that I can’t do or don’t think I can do. In reality I probably can’t do it, but with God, I can. God will provide a way. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. Thank you for convicting me of slothfulness and showing me that when I feel scared to do something, it isn’t that it is too hard, it is that I am not putting my faith in you. Thank you for being there for me and being ready to help me through every situation in which I call on your name. Help me to do put my faith in you and be obedient enough to do your will, no matter how difficult it may seem. Give me the strength and courage to be obedient to you and do the things you call me to do. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective questions for Proverbs 22:13 (KJV): *What does Proverbs 22:13 mean to me? *Do I make excuses about not doing anything when in reality I am just lazy? *Do I trust that God can help me through anything? *Do I believe that God can make a way when there doesn’t seem to be one? *Do you confuse laziness with fear? Now, it is your turn? What are your thoughts? I would like to hear from you. Please, leave a comment. If you would like to receive these posts in your inbox, please sign up below. Thank you. 
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV) Hi friends, How are you today? Today, I chose to write about a topic, which we might not think of very often. It has to do with relationships and being unequally yoked. So, what does that mean and why should we consider it? Unequally yoked, is usually referred to as being a believer and an unbeliever. So, if you love someone, why does it matter whether they believe in God or not? Isn’t the love between you the only thing that matters? Love is important, however it may be an uphill battle if you are paired with someone who is not in the same place spiritually as you. Even though your love may seem strong in the beginning, there may come a time when your difference in belief may be a cause for strife or distress. For example, if one spouse goes to church and the other doesn’t, it might not be a big deal in the beginning, but the person going to church may feel torn some day. That person may feel lonely going to church by himself or herself, seeing many other families and spouses at church together. Or, the person going to church may start to want to miss church to be with his or her spouse, especially if the couple doesn’t get to spend much time together during the week. This difference could lead to struggles, fights, and difficult feelings. The relationship may feel one-sided, like one person is carrying more of the weight of the relationship than the other. Conflict may arise from one person going to church and the other not, one person praying and the other not, one person quoting scripture and the other not, one person reading the Bible and the other not, one person having faith in God and the other not. The unbeliever may get tired of the believer talking about God and faith or get tired of the believer trying to get him or her to believe the same. It may make him or her feel like they are not good enough and the marriage will break up because of it. A low self-esteem or low self-confidence can create all kinds of strife and upheaval. That person may start to lash out. There are other differences that could cause you to feel unequally yoked as time goes by. There could be differences in age, differences in education, differences in ethnicity, differences in work ethic. Yet, a difference in beliefs is at the very heart and soul of one’s being. The other things are just surface issues and may be easier to overcome. One may feel that it will get better over time. Yet, if the believer grows in faith, the distance between the two will only get wider and wider. And, one definitely does not want to go backwards in their faith, so they can be closer to their spouse. That will only put them both farther from God. This doesn’t address what happens if you are already unequally yoked. There are other verses to help us out in that situation. However, I hope that this gives people who are considering marriage cause to stop and really think about things like this. You will be glad you did! Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Holy Scriptures! Thank you for giving us this guide in how to live. Thank you for your love. Help us to remember these words about being unequally yoked when we consider being in a relationship with others who do not share the same belief or the same level of belief as we do, especially when we are considering marriage. Help us to understand that this is more important than we may feel when we feel that we are in love with someone and nothing else matters. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for 2 Corinthians 6:14 (KJV): *What does 2 Corinthians 6:14 mean to me? *What does it mean to be unequally yoked? *Am I unequally yoked with friends, coworkers, or family members? *Are these relationships healthy? *What can I do to better adhere to this verse? *What can I do to help others consider the importance of this verse? Now, it is your turn: I would like to hear your thoughts? Are you in an unequally yoked relationship? Is is difficult? Are there any other topics or verses you would like to see in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations? If you enjoy this content, please share it with your friends and family. Also, if you haven't signed up to have it sent to your inbox, please consider doing so. Thank you. 
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
James 1:27 (KJV) Hi Friends, How are you today? Last week, I wrote about James 1:26, which was about fake religion. This week, I chose to write about James 1:27, which is about true or pure religion. Do we ever think about the difference between fake religion and pure religion? Do we ever check ourselves and pray as to which we are practicing? It is often thought of that religion means going to church on Sunday. Yet, worshiping is only one part of religion. Going to church is only a small part of pure religion. As we see in James 1:27, pure religion includes loving others, because God loves us. It includes doing things such as visiting and helping orphans, widows, sick, poor, and those who have troubles in some way or another. It includes helping a friend, a neighbor, and even a stranger during difficult times. We all have troubles and it is a religious and Christian thing to help others in whatever way we can. In other words, religion is a lifestyle, not a once a week date at church. It is serving and comforting those in need, not being pious, prim, and proper. Pure religion is serving others with humbleness, not trying to bring all attention to yourself or your deeds. Pure religion is keeping your focus on God and not the various fads of the world. So, it is time to look into our hearts and see which we are doing? Are we participating in fake religion or pure religion? What is in our heart? God knows so we can’t fool Him. We may be fooling others, and ourselves but we can never fool God. For many of us, it may be that we are some where in the middle. That isn’t all that good either. We are to love God with our whole heart. Speaking for myself, I have room for improvement. Do you? Sometimes, I think we get into a routine, where we don’t really think about how we are doing. I think we may go to church or read the Bible or even volunteer at certain events and think we are doing well. Yet, we don’t always take a good look at what we are doing and how well we are following God’s Word and God’s will for us. We think we are doing well, because we aren’t cheating or stealing or breaking any of the commandments of the Old Testament. Yet, are we following the commandment of Jesus? Do we love God with our whole being in all that we do and loving others as ourselves? This is pure religion. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love and guidance. Thank you for giving us your Word in order to know how we should live and what we should do. Help us to work towards pure religion and not fake religion. Help us to serve you and not to be like those in the world, but those in your kingdom. Help us to love you with our whole heart and whole being and to love others as ourselves. Help us to know that this is what you want for us and from us. Help us to look towards Jesus as our true example and to listen to your Holy Spirit for direction. I ask you this through your Son, Jesus. Amen. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reflective Questions for James 1:27 (KJV): *What does James 1:27 mean to me? *Do I practice fake religion or pure religion? *Is religion a weekly visit to a church or an every day lifestyle practice for me? *What can I do different to better practice pure religion? *Do I stop and check myself often to make sure I am doing my best to practice pure religion or do I get caught up in the habit without thinking about it? Now, it is your turn! I would like to hear your thoughts and comments. Please, comment below. Also, if you are enjoying this blog, please subscribe to get updated content in your inbox and share this blog with your friends. Thank you.
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Hi friends!
This is Jodi. I am so glad you are here! I am a Christian and life-long learner. I enjoy sharing and encouraging others. I pray you are blessed by this blog. Thank you for being here. Archives
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