NorMel House Devotions

  Grace. What is it? Do we need it? Google AI says, “In Christianity, grace is commonly understood as a divine gift, an unearned favor or blessing from a higher power…Essentially, it is something good that is given to someone without them having to earn it.” While this is true, it doesn’t even remotely come close to the full explanation of what grace truly means for us. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” So, we know that we are all sinners, unable to do good. So, yes, we all need God’s grace. Romans 6:23 tells us why this is important to know: “For the wages of sin is death.” However, it goes on to tell us why we can have hope, continuing with “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 3:23-25a says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation...

Day vs. night, light vs. dark, good vs. evil. We often think in these simple terms, but it's really no surprise. God created light, God is our light; God is the only source of all good. Nighttime can be scary, and darkness can bring fear, and so it should be. In the beginning, God created light, and "God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day' and the darkness He called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day" (Genesis 1:4-5).  In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Light is good; at night, the darkness can make us afraid of the things we cannot see, but "weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalm 30:5). Every morning I get up knowing, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; th...

 Change. Life is full of changes, some of which we want and plan for, and others that happen to us whether we want them or not.  It can be difficult when you realize you really have no control over anything. We all like to think we have control over things in our lives, but the Bible tells us, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). We can and should make plans, but ultimately, God is in control of all things. When we go through things we don't really want to, it can be easy to start questioning God and His plan, but it's at times like those that we really need to lean on God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Trust in God, and He will make your path straight. The Bible often speaks about life like a path or a race: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the w...

Titus 3:15 “Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” Grace. Grace is where everything starts and ends.  Grace is where Paul begins and ends his letter as well. Grace makes salvation possible. By the grace of God, Christ brought us salvation. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12). Grace makes it possible for us to do the good works that Paul has been teaching us about, and that God requires of us. It is by grace that we are justified and made heirs to the kingdom of heaven. Paul wrote, “So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7). By God’s grace, we are called and made willing and able to live a life that is marked by good works. Although it may seem that Paul’s letter is asking a l...

Titus 3:12-15 “12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.” You might be tempted to just skip over the final verses of the book of Titus, thinking that it's simply Paul’s typical greeting, but every word of the Bible is God-breathed and important. God has not designed us to live alone. People matter, fellowship matters. We matter to God, and He uses us for His purposes. There is nothing in the Bible that is small or insignificant. The Bible teaches us that the Creator preserves His people, and all things are used to further His will. God created you at the exact moment He desire...

  Titus 3:11 “For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.” Today’s text is quite simple. Paul has been making the point that the gospel is transformative. One who has been born again in Christ will live differently than the unrepentant sinner. 1 John 2:4-6 says, “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” People who have turned away from the gospel truth will be obvious because they won’t be living as Jesus did. Their actions will reveal what is in their heart, thereby condemning them. We are all sinners, condemned by our sins, but one who lives for Christ will strive to do what is right and, by the Holy Spirit, will live to do the good works God has set forth for them to do. No, Christians are not perfect, but i...