NorMel House Devotions

  Have you ever thought, “Wow, it’s a good thing others can’t hear my thoughts right now!” I know I definitely have, more often than I’d care to admit. So often, throughout the day, my thoughts are not in line with what the Bible teaches us they should be. As Paul says in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” It’s a constant struggle and battle to control not only our actions but also our thoughts! By the Spirit, we may be able to hold our tongues and keep our thoughts to ourselves, but our thoughts matter to God! I am a Christian, not because I am perfect, I’m not. I am a Christian because I know I need Christ! Part of knowing my need for God is recognizing how important it is to have a living, active relationship with Him. Prayers are a vitally important part of living out your faith and being a Christian. Prayer is part of how we commune with our heavenly Father, and therefore, vital to our relat...

Love is a major topic in February. People do all sorts of things to express their love around Valentine’s Day, such as dinners, buying flowers or chocolates, and coming up with fancy dates and cards to let someone know they love them, typically in a romantic way. We often express our love by giving people gifts or doing something nice for them, but what does the Bible say about love? More particularly, what does it say about our love for God? It’s wonderful to have a significant other, but ultimately, we must love God above all else. Deuteronomy 6:5 gives us the command to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” So how do we express love to our glorious God? John 14:15 puts it quite simply, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” We are commanded to love God and to show that love by keeping His commandments. Seems like a tall order for a sinful people, but 1 John 5:3-4 tells us, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep H...

  Family. For some, family is a happy, healthy, and comforting thing, but for others, it can be quite a painful word. For some, hearing the word family brings thoughts of warmth and love, but there are also those who feel anxiety, or fear, or anger, some even feel bitterness or regret. Family is supposed to be a beautiful gift; there are many verses in the Bible that speak about how a wife and children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22 ESV) And turning to Psalm 127:3-5 ESV, we read, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" Proverbs 17:6 ESV says, "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers." Family is meant to be a gift, but because we live in a sinful world,...

  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...

John 1:1-5 “ In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Light versus dark. Darkness verses light. So much of our lives revolve around light and darkness; we live in the light, thrive in light and can be scared of the dark. A little child will ask for a nightlight because the darkness is scary; we can’t see our way in the dark, nor can we tell if there’s danger lurking. Our days are determined by the sun rising and setting, by light and dark. The Bible also talks about light and dark. God is the creator and source of light. Genesis 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God wa...

Titus 2:1 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” In chapter 1:1 Paul told us he was there to “further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness”. His purpose was to spread the good news of the gospel, and it is a transformative gospel! At the end of chapter 1, Paul talks about false teachers when he says, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.” This leads us right into today’s text in chapter 2:1 where Paul reminds Titus that he is to teach what accords with sound doctrine. He wants Titus to know that the very doctrine he is to teach must be made evident in his own life. The grace of God transforms you, it is not simply moralism or religion; the true saving gospel will make an obvious and marked difference in your life. We are to make sure that the content of the preaching is wholesome and sound and combines correct knowledge and understanding with consistent practice in the preacher’s life. Faith that is ...

Read Psalm 1 Sometimes it seems as though the wicked prosper and the Christian suffers, but have you ever thought about what happens in the end? The Bible tells us many truths and if we look at Psalm 1 we can be comforted by the Godly wisdom we’re given and also find the answer to our question; will the wicked always prosper? Psalm 1 tells us of two ways of living and what will happen if we live either way. There is the “way of the sinner” and the “way of the righteous”. We start with a look at the righteous, then we’ll see the downfall of sinners, and end, as we always should, with reason to praise the Lord. Psalm 1 starts with a look at the man who is blessed because of righteousness; how then, must we live to be one of the blessed? Our text reminds us that the people of God must be characterized by righteousness; sinners have no place among God’s people. Those who serve the Lord and do His will are blessed. The very first verse tells us not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked.” Pr...

As a child, I often liked to play outside. Like many kids, I liked making mud pies and playing with dirt. There's several ways children will play; some get right down on their hands and knees or even sit right in the mud. They're not afraid to get dirty. Some, like me, liked to play with the mud but didn't really want to get filthy. I would crouch down and use sticks and occasionally use my hands. I wanted to have fun but didn't really want to get messy. Then, there are still other children who don't want to play with mud or have anything to do with getting dirty. But you can never truly avoid all puddles, especially when it's raining. In a way, you can compare the mud to sin. Some people wallow in their sin, loving every minute and not caring how dirty they get. Others want to have the fun and pleasure sin can bring but don't want to get too dirty. It's just a little fun. And then there are those who, by God's grace, strive to live a life apart from...

  Read 1 John 5:13-21 At the time John wrote this letter, Christianity was under attack. People were going through uncertainties and either leaving the church or trying to change the gospel. As we come to the conclusion of the letter, we can see that not only was it a response to Gnosticism, but it was also meant to reassure the reader of several things. By using the phrase "we know," John gave the reader several certainties for Christians to be confident in as he summarized and concluded his letter. Our first confidence, and concurrently the purpose of the letter, is found in verse 13. John wrote the letter that the reader might be certain of eternal life. His desire is that they might know that Jesus is the true Son of God, and knowing this, believe in the gospel promises and therefore have eternal life. He goes on to tell us of the confidence we have that our prayers are not only heard but will be answered. Do not make the mistake of thinking prayer is a way to control God...

Read 1 John 5:1-12 We come to the last chapter of 1 John, and here again, we see the main point John has been trying to get across to his readers: Jesus is Christ, the Son of God. Just as love is a sign of being born again, so also, is faith in Jesus as the Christ. At the time John wrote this letter, family members were all considered a unit under the father of the household. This is why John uses the illustration of a family to show that if someone loves the Father, then they must also love the Son and vice versa.  Another way to show love for God is obedience to His commands. Obedience to God and showing love for God is also evidence of love for His children. John tells us that God's commands are not "burdensome" (verse 3) because we have been born again. By faith, one who has been born again of God is then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey. It's easy to be obedient to God's commands because God overcame the world and gave us His Spirit to dwell in us. It is th...

  Read 1 John 4 At first glance, chapter 4 may appear to be a repetition of things John had previously said. However, there is more to learn here. While John had warned against false prophets and teachers, he now tells us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God." (1 John 4:1). He gives the reader a way to discern and recognize false teaching; those who deny that Christ came in the flesh are anti-christs. John also tells the reader that the world will follow its own, but God is greater than the world. True prophets speak from God and co fess that Jesus Christ was a true man and, at the same time, true God. John was not the only one to warn against false prophets. Paul also warned against them in 1 Timothy 4:1-2a, where he wrote, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars..." So how do we discern the truth? John says, ...

Read 1 John 3:11-24 The Bible tells us we are to love one another, and our text today is like a road map to doing so. In fact, it tells us that right from the beginning, we have been told to love one another. In the beginning, when God gave the law, He said, "Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself."(Levitcus 19:17-18). From these passages, we learn that acting out of hatred, or revenge, or bearing a grudge are not showing love. They are, in fact, the opposite of love! 1 John 3 even gives us an example when it tells us not to murder, like Cain, who was evil and jealous of his brother (1 John 3:12). What comes next is a reminder that the world will hate us for this (1 John 3:13). Jesus, Himself, said, "If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I hav...

  Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:10 and Romans 6:1 – 14 When you meet someone, how do you identify yourself? Do you say, “I’m a mom of…” or “I’m so and so’s wife…” How do you define yourself? Do you ever say, “I’m a child of God”? For, as John says in 1 John 3:1, “that is what we are!” We are children of God! But how is that possible? We are lawless sinners, but Jesus came to take our sin away (1 John 3: 5). Because He is sinless, we too, are made sinless in God’s eyes. John isn’t saying that the believer’s life is sinless in and of themselves, but rather, the believer’s life is made distinctive by doing what is right. In Christ we have the Holy Spirit who helps us. Satan cannot control believers but will be overcome and destroyed by Christ’s work. Sin is of the devil and Jesus came to destroy “the devil’s work” (1 John 3: 8). As God’s children, we are “born of God” and therefore have His seed (1 John 3:9). Just as children inherit the traits of their parents, so, we too will be like our H...

Read 1 John 2:18-27 Our Bible passage today comes under the heading, "Warning against the anti-christs." John warns the readers that there are already anti-christs in the world. A sense of urgency is apparent through the repeated use of the word "last." Twice in verse 18, he says it is the "last hour." John believed the end of days was already there. He wanted the readers to be alert and prepared so they wouldn't be led astray by false prophets and anti-christs. John called the early Gnostics anti-christs because they denied Christ's humanity. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul also warns against them when he refers to the "man of lawlessness." He warns that there will be a falling away from faith; an active rebellion leading the forces of evil. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus said, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible." Jesus said this while e...

Read 1 John 2:1-17 To "walk in the light" might seem like a strange expression, but John explains what it means in today's text. It's not a literal light, but the light of God and His Word. What is walking in the light? Well, the text tells us that to walk in the light is not to sin but to strive to be obedient to God's Word. You must strive to know God. How does one get to know God? By reading His Word! When we read His Word, we learn that it also means we must strive to live Christ-like lives. The Word of God must live in us; we must not be liars or haters. When we do walk in the light, John tells us that our sins are forgiven because Jesus intercedes for us before the Father. Just as one has an advocate before the judge in court, we have Jesus to go before our heavenly judge. Our love for God will be seen in obedience to Him, and "God's love is truly made complete." John is telling the reader that true light is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the s...

Read 1 John 1:5-10 John writes that God is light. In the beginning, God spoke, and there was light (see Genesis 1:3). He even sent His Son to be a light in this dark world. We sinned and brought the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus calls Himself the light of the world. Logically speaking, we know you can not be both light and dark. Either light is shining on you, or you are in darkness. John tells us that God is light and we can not have fellowship with Him if we walk in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 says, "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." We know that God is light but Psalm 119:105 tells us that God's Word is also light. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Our text tells us that walking in the light, as He is, gives us fellowship with one another and gives us the blood of Christ to purify us from sin. Sin is darkness. If we claim to be without sin, we are, as our text says, liars, and ...

Read 1 John 1:1-4 John dives right into the heart of the matter. He starts his letter off by refuting the teachings of the Gnostics. The Gnostics believed that the body, and all physical matter, is evil. Only the Spirit can be good. They denied Christ's humanity, saying that Christ only seemed to be human or that the divine Christ came and was temporarily joined with the man for a short part of His time on earth. John refutes this right away by witnessing Christ's body and life. He tells the reader, "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." John calls Christ the Word of Life because He is the source of life and the Supreme ruler over life. John also says this in the book of John, chapter 1: 1-2, where he writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." He goes on to a...

Read Ephesians 5:1-20 Our passage today continues with the theme of living as children of the light. Here, we are told to be imitators of Christ. This isn't a new concept; 1 John 2:6 says,  "Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked." And again, in 1 Peter 2:21-22, "For to this you have been called,  because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth." So, to live as children of the light means we have to be imitators of God. Our passage goes on to tell us what that means. To imitate Christ means not only to do as He did but also to avoid the things He didn't do. Verse 3 tells us we are not to be sexually immoral, impure, or greedy because those things are improper for God's holy people. We are not to defile our bodies for those who do will not receive the inheritance. Christ is God and was perfect, and so, we ...

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 and  1 Corinthians 6: 12-20 Today's text is a beautiful reminder that we are called to be holy; God wants us to be pure in all we say, think, and do. It is a call to action. We are to flee from sexual immorality because our bodies are meant for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 says, "‭‭Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit." When we have sexual relations with others, we bind ourselves to them. But it doesn't stop there. In all we say, think, and do we are to be pure. That means that crude jokes, lustful thoughts and fantasies, what you wear, and how you present yourself all show what is in your heart. Someone who is pure at heart will not be se...

 "God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything" (1 John 3:20b) Wow. This is such a huge comfort for the believer! In His omniscience, God knows all things, at all times, effortlessly and intimately. Have you ever tried to count the stars?  "He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names" (Psalm 147:4) We can't even begin to count them, yet He determined each one, gave them their places, gave them their names! What about the hairs on your head, not as many as the stars in the sky but "even the hairs of your head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7). Does that not fill you with awe and amazement? His knowledge is far beyond our comprehension. He knows all things that are possible, all things that have happened and all things that will happen. We often think we're quite smart yet our knowledge is but a drop in the ocean, just a spec of what God knows. As Christians we ought to be humbled and comforted by all this. We are...