Grow Devotes | Grow Churches

Notice Him

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…” James 1:17 When my husband and I did missionary work, we relied upon the giving of others to meet our financial needs. Some of our supporters were consistent and faithful. Others gave when they were able. Some gave every month, and some gave one-time gifts. As God opened doors to travel into...

He Satisfies

“…unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by non means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 Before a baby is born, the child has never known hunger or thirst because he or she was connected to a continual life source. Once the baby has been born and separated from their mother, the child will begin to experience need and want. The baby will be hungry,...

No Wanting

“Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” Psalm 34:10 A seeker is a person who is reliant on the one they seek. If you were self-sufficient, doing it all on your own, then there would be no need to seek anything or anyone else. A seeker realizes who God is and goes after Him as the source of our life and our love. What is a...

God First in Our Day

“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” Psalm 5:3 First in Your Day There is really no commandment or obligation to seek God at the beginning of your day. However, let me share four reasons why someone would want to spend the first part of their day with God. 1. When you know...

God First in Finances

Proverbs 3:9, 10 “(9) Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; (10) so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” Honoring God means that we value Him above anyone or anything. It means that we have decided to put our trust in Him instead of relying upon our own ability and strength. It’s about yielding...

God First in Relationships

“..the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.” Isaiah 33:6 Amplified Version When Jesus sent a message to the church in Ephesus in Revelation chapter two, He told them that He had noticed the good works they were doing. Then He says, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The Greek word for “left” is aphiemi, which means “to...

God First in Pursuit

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 Seeking God is the pursuit of God and the advancement of His kingdom. When we make God our pursuit, we are open to receive His alignment in every other area of our lives. By seeking a holy lifestyle and the wellbeing of His church, we invite His supernatural grace...

More Than First

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…” Mark 12:30 God doesn’t want to be first in your life; He wants to be Lord over your life. To make something or someone first means that something or someone else is second, as if divided into parts. God doesn’t want to have part of...

True Love is What I Wanted

“It is true love that I have wanted…” Hosea 6:6 (Phillips) Often we focus on what we desire, but let’s consider what God desires. A desire is an appetite for something or someone that causes us to want to pursue the object we have affection for. It is a longing that experiences fulfillment when it is satisfied. God is a passionate God who longs for what He wants, and He...

True Love of a Father

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 There is a word in the Hebrew that describes a deep love that is commonly translated as mercy or compassion. It is a word that comes from a root word for womb and it has been used to describe the strong love of a parent for a child. God...

True Love is Selfless

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 True love is selfless. We see true love demonstrated through the selfless living of Jesus Christ. 1. Jesus has shown us His love by choosing to leave glory. In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul wrote about Christ’s selfless love to lower Himself by coming to earth, leaving the glory of God’s...

True Love Has Freedom

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another.” Galatians 5:13 God wants us to choose to love Him through our free will. He doesn’t want us to love Him because we have to; He wants us to love Him because we want to. Therefore, God gives liberty for true love. Love that is...

True Love is Fierce

“For the love of Christ compels us…” II Corinthians 5:14 The meaning of the word “compel” in II Corinthians 5:14 means to be held in a tight constraint. It gives us the idea that God’s love grips our hearts so strongly that all we want is to live for Him and to reach out to others. Because God’s love is so fierce, or intense, within our hearts, we find ourselves...

True Love is Irreplaceable

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you…” Hebrews 13:5 There is only one you, and when you are loved, no one else could ever take your place. When we try to understand the love of God, we try to compare His love to the love on earth. King Solomon compared God’s love to the love between a man and a woman in the Bible book, Song of Solomon. In...

True Love is Unconditional

“Love never fails…” I Corinthians 13:8 God’s love is the measure of true love. The love we experience in the world around us is not always a reflection of God’s love; it’s often an imperfect love that is distorted by issues such as, insecurity, intimidation, selfishness, control, shame, and guilt. If we try to understand God’s true love by comparison to the imperfections of human relationships, we’ll get a wrong...