Devotional for friends // Devocional para as amigas

  Why bother fasting? Why should we fast? How does that help my life? A devotional reflection on fasting and on the Sabbath required by God through the prophet Isaiah.   Opening Scripture ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,     ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ (Isaiah 58:3)   Devotional reading Sometimes we just wonder, “Why pray, why fast? How many times have I done it? What were the answers that God has given me?” And all we want to say is: Why bother? Instead, we should look at ourselves and search our ways. What kind of prayer? What kind of fasting have I been doing all along? In this chapter ( Chapter 58 ), the LORD says through the prophet Isaiah the type of fasting He desires. He doesn’t want a fast that mostly pleases me, when I change nothing in my behavior and do nothing to show how repentant and penitent I am, and undeserving ...

  How to Recognize Foolishness and Pursue Wisdom A devotional reflection on humility, discernment, and the cost of our choices Opening Scripture “Do not be wise in your own eyes.” — Proverbs 3:7 Devotional Reading A fool is not the same as an insane person. In my understanding, an insane person is unable to reason clearly; things may not make sense in their mind. A fool, however, is someone who rejects counsel, ignores warnings, disobeys what is right, and acts from wrong motivations. If a person does the wrong thing for the right reason, we may still be able to understand the motive. But foolishness is different: it is often rooted in ignorance, arrogance, and a narrow mind that refuses wisdom. How can we recognize a wise person? In my understanding, a wise person does not act impulsively. This person does not need to suffer through every mistake in order to learn, because wisdom can also come from observing the experiences of ot...

  Kindness That Reflects Christ A Bondade que Reflete Cristo Scripture Focus: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34 Foco das Escrituras: “Um novo mandamento lhes dou: Amem-se uns aos outros. Como eu os amei, vocês devem amar-se uns aos outros.” — João 13:34 Jesus calls us to love one another, not only with our words but through the kindness we show in daily life. His example invites us to answer others with gentleness, patience, and love. Jesus nos chama a amar uns aos outros, não apenas com nossas palavras, mas por meio da bondade que demonstramos no dia a dia. Seu exemplo nos convida a responder aos outros com mansidão, paciência e amor. Kindness is not weakness. It is a choice to answer hurt, rudeness, and pride with the love Jesus taught and lived. When kindness is rooted in love, it becomes more than good ma...

  I recently finished listening to a BibleProject  podcast about the Ten Commandments. Tim Mackie explained that a more direct translation from the Hebrew would be “the Ten Words.” Isn’t that beautiful? These were not merely rules handed down from a distant God. They were words of life—words spoken by God to form His people, to teach them how to live in harmony with Him and with one another. Each word carries deep meaning. And when we continue reading, we see more than a short list of commands. We see examples, case studies, and real-life situations that help us understand what God had in mind when He spoke to Moses. He was not simply giving Israel a legal code. He was revealing the way of life. The purpose of God’s law is not death, but life. It is not meant to crush a community, but to protect it from disorder, violence, and destruction. Good laws help preserve harmony. When we obey them, we are not only protecting ourselves; we are al...

  In case you can't read, but can listen. Click here.  Reflection Em caso de não poder ler, mas pode escutar. Clique aqui.  Reflexao Buying Peace with Holy Things Recently, I found myself thinking about something in the history of Israel and Judah that I had never fully considered before. Many times, in the Bible, kings took gold, silver, and consecrated things from the temple and used them to buy peace with their enemies. At first, it can look like a simple political decision: they had a problem, they used what they had, and they found temporary relief. But when I thought more deeply about it, I realized how serious it was. What Belongs to God To consecrate something means to dedicate it to God. It is set apart for Him. When a person consecrates their life to the Lord, they are saying, “My life belongs to You.” In truth, our lives already belong to Him, but consecration is a surrender—a vow of devotion and trust. So when the king...