NorMel House Devotions

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...