Be encourage with biblical encouragement and inspiration from Pastor Kevin Berry. Receive leadership tips to succeed in your work or daily life, follow along with daily devotionals, and receive practical steps to walk out your Christian life.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Years ago, instead of taking my big dog for a walk, I decided I would let him pull me on a skateboard. Well… it wasn’t pretty. He was dragging me all over the place and we were going much faster than I had expected. Before I knew it – crash!
Sometimes in families, we may feel like we’re getting pulled all over the place, too much, too fast, and then the crash. If we live in this state of worry and stress, we get dragged all over the place. Our minds will wander to a million different “what if” scenarios. What if I can’t make it through this? What if she doesn’t come back? What if the deal doesn’t go through? The path of “what ifs” is an ugly one.
My friend, God has a better path for you… the pathway of peace. It’s a path that is void of worry. It’s a path that is not ruled by fear. It’s a path of unusual, supernatural peace! Regardless of the challenges that you or your family face, you can have peace. How?
-Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, today I choose peace! I make a choice not to waste any more emotional energy in worry. Fear and worry aren’t going to change anything… except suck the life and joy right out of me and my family. Instead, I choose you… I choose peace! I thank you for saving me, for being rich in mercy, for being so very good and kind to me. I pray for my family, that they, too, would experience your peace. Amen.”
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
– Genesis 1:26
I want you to notice something… before God even made Adam or Eve, He said, “Let them have dominion.” Let who? Adam and Eve – the husband and the wife. “Them” was God’s plan before He made human beings. Notice that the blessing is on THEM, not on just one. The blessing comes as you function as “them.” They have dominion over everything except each other.
No couple should function as one being over and one under…. it’s THEM!
I’ve heard it said before that behind every good man is a good woman. It’s just not true! Here’s the thing – she was not made to be behind you. If she is behind you, she is vulnerable. She was not made to be out in front of you. She was made by God, taken out of the rib of man, to be at his side.
I love the way Bishop Larry Jackson explains it. He says woman was made out of a higher grade material. Man was made out of dirt; woman was made out of man’s rib. There is another dimension of unity that you can walk in when you honor each other and begin to operate as “them,” when you function as a team, not individuals.
The day you got married, the two became one. You are no longer two people with two different agendas and plans. Now you are one, so you operate as one, as “them,” as the team God has put together. I’m convinced that God put you two together because you are better together than you ever could be apart.
Start a conversation with your spouse about how you can function better as a team and operate as one in all that you do. Remember, the blessing of the Lord is on “them.”
– Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, I thank you that the two becoming one has always been part of your master plan for marriage and the family. I ask that you will help us to operate as one, to function as “them,” not as individuals. The day I entered the marriage covenant was the day my goals, my plans, my opinions, and my feelings were all laid on the altar for something better – “our!” Now it’s our goals, our plans, our opinions, our feelings, our future. Give me the wisdom to walk in the blessing of marriage and family. Thank you, Amen!”
“Those who get married at this time will have troubles…” – the Apostle Paul
– 1 Corinthians 7:28
Now there’s a verse you never hear mentioned in a wedding ceremony. I’ve officiated a lot of weddings over the years, but never have I started out by saying, “We’ve gathered here today in the sight of God to let you, and all those that are married, know that you are going to have troubles.” Yikes… who wants to hear that, especially on your big day?
But the truth remains that even in the best of marriages, you will have troubles. It’s just a normal part of relationships. But what is not normal is when you have troubles that just don’t go away. Have you ever had a problem that seems to never get resolved properly? Is there something that seems to resurface, an issue that you keep walking around over and over again? Have you ever said, “Can we not have this conversation again!?!” That’s what we call the crazy train. Renee and I are familiar with it because we’ve taken our fair share of rides.
There is a verse I remember hearing my mom say often as a child and then she had us boys commit it to memory:
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
– Psalms 46:1
Who is God for you when you run into a challenge in your marriage? He is the Lord your refuge – the one you run to, the one who is safe, the one who protects you. He is your strength! Yes, He provides for you – supernatural strength for all you face. And make sure you catch this – He is always ready to help in times of trouble. He is your ever-present help! EVER-PRESENT means He is always with you, always for you.
I want to encourage you today if you are married or want to be some day! Yes, in marriage there will be troubles, there will be trials. It’s a normal part of life. But here is something else that can be normal for you – the knowledge that God is your ever-present help with every trial you face! You are not alone. The one who created marriage and the family is here right now to help you.
Would you join me and hide this verse in your heart? Go ahead and make it personal and pray this with me right now:
“Father, I thank you that you are my refuge and strength. You are my hiding place, you are the one who keeps me safe. Thanks for giving me access to supernatural strength – the strength I need to be the godly (man or woman) you have called me to be. What a delight it is to know that you are always ready to help in times of trouble! You are my ever-present help! O Lord, let that one sink deep down into me today. What a thought – the Creator of the universe is my ever-present help. Help me to care for my family in such a way that pleases you. Help me to honor you by treating my spouse and family in a way that represents your heart. Amen.”
– Pastor Kevin Berry
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
– Jeremiah 17:7-8
There is something extremely bothersome about a finger pointing at you followed by the words, “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you!” It’s the phrase siblings use to terrorize each other. Often, it can be our own family—those closest to us—that know how to push our buttons and bother us.
The enemy knows how to push my buttons… and he knows how to push yours, too! He knows the kind of things that really get to you—the kind of things, that if allowed, would give you a meltdown and cause you to bawl your eyes out. He knows the kind of things that will make you feel like a failure and make you want to throw in the towel. Some days it may be the dirty laundry left on the floor… other days it may be hurtful words that were said in anger.
Maybe the enemy has been pushing your buttons lately. But, there is a secret in scripture to living a life that is blessed and not bothered by what happens around you… blessed so deeply on the inside that it eventually will have to affect your outside!
Here it is: Trust in the Lord! It’s simple and powerful. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made Him their hope and confidence! They are like trees planted along a riverbank… not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Wow! Blessed, not bothered, and worry-free!
So, trust the Lord, relying completely on your GREAT heavenly Father. The more you know Him, the more completely you will trust Him. May you be blessed so deeply on the inside that it will eventually have to affect your outside… and spill over to everyone in your family!
-Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, I will trust you, lean on you, obey you! Please help me cooperate with your Holy Spirit working in me. When the enemy tries to push my buttons, I declare, “NO MORE!” With your help, I will operate in faith and love. Thank you, God, for being the hope and confidence for me and my family. Amen!”
How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head… and there the Lord has pronounced his blessing.
– Psalms 133:1-3
The Lord commands a blessing, and when He does, it’s as good as done! No word from God is without the power to make that word happen. But it’s important to take notice of the place where the Lord pronounces a blessing. There is a certain position and disposition in which the blessing is given: it’s in a place of harmony, unity, and love.
Let’s focus on harmony in our home, among family. It is both precious and powerful! Harmony is something to be pursued and guarded. What is the harmony level in your home today? And here’s the bigger question: what are you going to do about it? You can’t make people get along with you, but you can take the initiative in pursuing harmony!
There is a fragrance to harmony that is strong, wonderful, and easy to detect – like the anointing oil that was poured on Aaron’s head and ran down his beard. It was visible to the eye and it was easy to discern because the strong fragrance could not be missed. Just as love, unity, and harmony are easily discerned, so are the opposites: bitterness, anger, victim mentality, and offense. Bitterness also has an odor, and it stinks! I encourage you to pursue harmony in your family today, and may it bring a pleasing aroma that shifts the atmosphere in your home!
– Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, I will do my part to pursue harmony in my family relationships. I want to be in the position and disposition where you command a blessing on my life, my home, my family, and my future! Grant me wisdom and grace to love others the way you love me… to always pursue reconciliation and to guard harmony! Thank you, Amen!”
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and the earth.
– Psalm 121:2
Think about this today: “My help comes…” Stop right there and hear this, HELP IS COMING! Your help is coming. Help is on the way. Take a sigh of relief you are not on your own—your help comes. Your help will not be standing off, just hoping you make it. Your help is in motion. Help is moving toward you right now! When you feel like it’s just too much, when you can’t figure out how this is going to work, when you get tired and feel weary… listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit today saying, “Help is coming!”
It’s not just that help is coming; it’s the kind of help that’s a big deal. My help comes from the Lord! Oh, it is the Lord who is coming. It is the Lord who is watching over you. It is the Lord who is protecting you through this season. The Lord is near you. He is always near to the humble, to those that cry out for help. He is your ever-present help in times of trouble. Take heart, my friend, He sees you and He’s coming toward you!
Okay, now buckle your seatbelt and hold onto this: It is the Lord, who made heaven and the earth, that comes to help you today! He is the one who creates something out of nothing. With His words, He created the heavens and the earth. His words will always create. His words will always go out on a mission and they will accomplish their mission. Know this, my friend, the Lord is speaking over you today. He is speaking over the current circumstances of your life. He is speaking over your family and your business and ministry.
I pray for you today that peace will well up in your heart as you are assured that the Prince of Peace is coming to help you! This is Jesus, who died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead as the sacrifice for your sins. The one whom death could not keep in the grave is coming to help you!
Love and Prayers,
Kevin
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
– Ephesians 4:23
I was outside with the family, roasting marshmallows by the fire, and making those very yummy s’mores. That’s when I saw it – a tick crawling up my arm! I flicked it in the fire and didn’t think much of it. But then Tanner found one on him. And Maraya found one on her. Yuck! Our fun by the fire ended early because of a small, almost undetected pest.
Over the years I’ve noticed something: marriages that started out fun, then somehow the fun and the fire ended early. Why? Often because of something small and almost undetected, at first anyway – the people’s thoughts and attitudes. When two people get married, they both bring a certain amount of unseen baggage. They both bring thought patterns and attitudes that have been shaped throughout their lives. All that is fine and wonderful until somebody’s buttons get pushed and then what was there all along comes out—a way of thinking or an attitude—and it’s not always a pleasant one.
If you want to get off the crazy train in your marriage, here’s a great place to start: take responsibility for your buttons! The fact is that you can’t control what happens to you, but you are in control of how you respond. Think about it, if you are in an argument and the phone rings, you stop the yelling for a moment and you answer the phone with a pleasant voice. How can you do that? Because you are in control of how you respond! You don’t get to choose what other people do, but you do get to choose what you do.
What is it that seems to push your buttons? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see what the real issues are behind the issues that frustrate you the most. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your thoughts and attitudes to reflect Him! I’ve found that the buttons people have come from two main sources.
I pray for you, my friend. May you determine today to work more on yourself than you do your marriage. May the Holy Spirit help you today by renewing your thoughts and attitudes. Yes, may this unseen area of your life be made new by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular check ups.
– 2 Corinthians 13:5
Of course the Apostle Paul was talking about the wisdom of giving yourself a spiritual check up. There is also wisdom in giving your marriage a regular check up, too! We maintain so many things – our cars, lawn mowers, homes, and our own health, yet all too often the marriage and family get neglected. It’s not like we think they don’t matter, we are just so busy with other things. Do you know what happens when things don’t get maintained properly? They get messy.
Early in our marriage, I bought a used lawn mower that didn’t have an oil cap. Instead of investing in it and maintaining it properly, I just used a milk carton cap as the oil cap. It seemed my little band-aid worked until Renee was mowing the lawn one day. The milk cap came off and oil started shooting everywhere! It got real messy. If you don’t invest in and maintain your marriage, the same thing happens. Things will eventually explode.
What can you do to continue to invest in your marriage all year long?
Have you ever heard the saying, “A dog is a man’s best friend?” Sure, dogs are great. You can tell them whatever you want and they don’t judge you. They never gripe about their health or how difficult their day was. And they are always there to greet you when you come home… complete with a wagging tail. However, if your dog is your best friend… it’s not good.
Adam enjoyed walking and talking with God in the cool of the garden. It sounds perfect! But even the Lord said it’s not good for man to be alone. What’s not good? How can it not be good when God and man were hanging out together? Well, we were created for relationship with each other and without that we are incomplete. The fact is that we have been wired by God for relationships.
It’s not about just “Jesus and me.” Sometimes we think when it comes to our spiritual growth all we need is Jesus, but that my friend, is just not true. Your spiritual growth has everything to do with the relationships with which you are surrounded – especially your family.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
What proves that we really are followers of Jesus? The way we love each other! Just let that one soak in for a minute. Our love for the Lord is best seen in the context of our love for others. Our spiritual growth is seen best by the way we treat our families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors.
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Wow… God will not forget how we have shown our love for Him in the way we have cared for others! And did you catch that one of the keys to us not becoming spiritually dull has everything to do with us loving others as long as life lasts? Let’s start right at home, loving and caring for our families with a deep love.
Pastor Kevin Berry
Prayer: “Father, thank you for creating me for relationships. I pray that my deep love for you will be evident in my deep love for others, starting with my family. I want to keep my spiritual edge sharp and not become spiritually dull, so I ask that you would grant me opportunities today to love and serve them. Thank you! Amen.”