Daily Readings at Southeast

A Better Year, Every Year When I think back to the young woman who failed out of college, felt lost in life, and didn’t even have enough to pay my cellphone bill or put gas in my car—it feels crazy. Because every year since then has gotten better and better, and I’ve stopped living the same year twice by walking in vision and faith. Vision is all throughout the Bible—and no, I’m not just talking about seeing visions—I mean having a clear vision for your life. When I didn’t know where I was headed, I wandered aimlessly. I’d be at the next party, the next bar, just drifting. But when I got vision, things inside me began to change. I started taking faith-filled steps instead of staying stuck. With vision came Godly confidence, because I knew: “If God is for me, who can be against me?” Every year I’ve had vision has been better than the last, because I finally have a target, a destination. Imagine a ship leaving the dock with no destination—it drifts aimlessly and ends up anywhere. That wa...

Starting The Year with God As believers, we all want to start the year with God, giving Him full access to our lives. But sometimes, there are areas we keep off-limits—our relationships, finances, future plans, business, health, and more. This year, invite God into the areas you’ve been trying to handle on your own. Bring Him into your marriage struggles, your life’s pains, and even the places where you’re already thriving. When you start letting God into the “small” things, you’ll begin to see it overflow into the big things—more patience with your spouse, greater awareness of your words, and peace in decisions. Starting the year with God means rededicating your life to Him—giving Him full access to what you were once hesitant to surrender. That one choice to let Him in can change everything. Reflection: Take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit into your life, especially into the areas you’ve been holding back. Give God full access to the good, the messy, and everything in between, and...

  Remember The Promises All throughout the Bible, God reminds us of His promises, like “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” These promises are so comforting, yet when we find ourselves stuck in seasons or situations, it’s easy to forget them. Maybe you even have a personal promise from God—about your life, your plans, your family, or your future. Refusing to live the same year twice means keeping God’s promises at the forefront of your mind and heart. His promises are true, unshakable, and able to stand against anything! Even when you don’t see how it will all come together, trust that it will. In your lowest seasons, in your moments of doubt, God’s promises can wrap around you and breathe life back into what feels dead or stuck. Breaking free from old patterns starts with anchoring yourself in the promises of God—and letting them guide your every step. Reflection: Which specific promises in the Bible speak to your heart the most? What personal promises has God spoken directly...

  Don’t Live It Twice One day, while sitting in my old high school bedroom—after failing out of college and honestly just holding onto the little bit of faith I had left—I realized something: if I didn’t start doing something different, I was about to repeat the exact same year all over again. That revelation hit me hard. I had prayed, I had believed, but I wasn’t actually getting up and doing the things God kept placing on my heart. I was still tangled up in the failures of my last season, feeling completely stuck. It’s so easy to get caught up in the rhythm of life and suddenly realize none of your goals have moved. Or to look at your current situation—your finances, your circumstances—and think, “ There’s no way I can get ahead.”  That might be the story others settle for, but that’s not the story God has for you. God calls you the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are the apple of His eye, deeply loved and completely seen. He has better for you—grea...

  Guarding Your Heart Scripture gives us a clear filter for our thoughts: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, lovely, of good report—think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8). Every day, thoughts will knock on the door of your mind and heart. Some will bring peace; others will bring confusion. You must decide what stays. Here’s how: Reject wrong thoughts  – Say, “I refuse this imagination in Jesus’ name.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Replace them with truth  – Speak or recall Scripture that counters the lie. Resist the enemy  – If the thought feels persistent, rebuke the enemy, just as Jesus resisted the devil in Matthew 4:10. As you practice these, your mind becomes a dwelling place for light. Meditation isn’t passive; it’s intentionally fighting to stay our focus on the right things by feeding our minds with the word of God. Hence, we must labor to let the word of the Lord dwell in us richly in all wisdom, because, out of the abundance of the mind, the ...

  Meditating on God David had a habit of meditating on God: “When I remember You on my bed and meditate on You in the night watches…” (Psalm 63:6). He didn’t wait for perfect quietness; he simply made God his focus. To meditate on God is to ponder His nature, His names, His goodness, His mercy, and His faithfulness. When you meditate on who God is, worship rises and joy fills your heart. Worry loses power because your mind is fixed on the One who never fails. Meditating on God will help you see how big and powerful He is and how small and powerless this world is in comparison to the only True God. It increases our honor for God and our sense of gratitude for His mercy and kindness towards us. Life abhors a vacuum; those who do not meditate on God will meditate on their problems or the devil and his attack, and this will cripple their faith and joy. Choose to make Jesus and His love for you, your endless meditation. Try this tonight: before you sleep, think about one attribute of Go...

  Building a Rich Meditation Culture Meditation shapes reality. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Your outer life mirrors your inner thought life. God gave us a clear process for transformation: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night…” (Joshua 1:8). Notice it involves the mouth, mind, and actions. Meditation begins with thought, moves to speech, and manifests in lifestyle. Here’s how to build a rich meditation culture: Fill your heart with the Word – Study and memorize Scripture. Speak the Word often – Say it aloud until it becomes conviction. Ponder the Word daily – Think deeply until light comes. Obey the Word quickly – Do what you have read and believe. When God’s Word fills your consciousness, you’ll walk in divine wisdom, prosperity, and peace. Scripture: Psalm 119:11

  Owning Your Thought Realm Your thought realm is a vast field of activity. Thoughts arise from your body, your memories, your environment, spiritual influences, and the Holy Spirit Himself. Every day, you choose which ones to meditate on and which ones to shun. Romans 12:2 reminds us that transformation begins with the renewing of your mind. When you allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thinking, you’ll find peace and clarity. But when your unrenewed mind rules, it easily entertains worry, temptation, and confusion. The renewed mind delights in what is good, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8). It’s drawn to truth and righteousness through God's word. The unrenewed mind feeds on worldly ideas and old habits. The former leads to godly convictions, and the latter leads to misappropriated faith, which brings fear, doubt, anxiety, worry, etc. You have the power to decide what stays in your consciousness; what stays in your consciousness determines the direction of your life. Every thoug...

  What is Biblical Meditation? Meditation isn’t mystical emptiness; it’s focused thinking. It’s the deliberate act of fixing your attention on a specific truth of God's word until it becomes revelation. Everyone meditates, but not everyone meditates rightly. A poor meditation culture allows the mind to wander freely, feeding on fear, comparison, or negativity. Over time, that creates confusion and anxiety. But a strong meditation culture intentionally chooses what to ponder and what to reject. Biblical meditation turns our hearts toward God, His Word, and His kingdom. This kind of meditation opens your life to hear God’s voice, receive wisdom, and live with clarity. Biblical meditation also means meditating on the Bible - Scriptures. When you meditate on Scripture, you’re not just thinking, but you’re aligning your mind with Heaven. Joshua 1:8 reveals that meditation on the word of God leads to prosperity and success. It transforms words on a page into living power in your heart. I...

  Looking forward to the day of God “What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God...”  (2 Peter 3:11-12 ESV) “The day of God” or “the day of the Lord” is a recurring theme in the Bible. It does not refer to one specific date, but to moments when God will intervene decisively. He will deal with evil. People who now suffer under violence will then be freed. Those who do evil will be judged. The greatest and final “day of God” will mark the end of time. This too is a day of judgment and salvation. On that day, heaven and earth will be destroyed by fire, and God will create a new heaven and earth. All of God's enemies—both humans and demons—will receive their just punishment. But everyone who is reconciled to Him through faith will be able to dry their tears and celebrate with God. That is a wonderful prospect. Paul reminds us we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our gr...

  Not seeing Jesus, yet being full of joy “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  (1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV) A few days ago, we read about Abraham who rejoiced greatly at the coming of Jesus, even though he only saw Him from afar. Without seeing the complete fulfillment of God's promises, Abraham believed and rejoiced. The apostle Peter says the same thing about people who believe in Jesus without ever having met Him physically. Peter himself had spent many years following Jesus. From that experience, he was able to tell others about Him, and that experience will also have strengthened Peter in his expectation of God's future. In the first years after Jesus' life on earth, there were quite a few believers who had personal memories of Him. But most Christians do not have that experience—they were...

  A joyful farewell!? “While He [Jesus] blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”  (Luke 24:51-52 ESV) Jesus' birth caused great joy. During His life on earth, He was a blessing to countless people. No wonder His followers were incredibly sad when He died. But when He rose from the dead three days later, their joy had no limits! So far, I completely understand the emotions described. But then we read something remarkable. Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus said farewell to His disciples. He returned to heaven. One would expect His followers to stand looking after Him sadly, seeing their dreams go up in smoke. But Luke writes: “They returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” (Luke 24:52 ESV) How is that possible? The answer lies in a promise: Jesus would send His Spirit and one day return Himself to complete His kingdom. So the farewell was only temporary, an intermediate step toward a g...

  The waiting rewarded “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”  (Luke 2:25 ESV) Simeon lived in Jerusalem. Politically, it was a difficult time, because Israel was occupied by the Romans. Religiously speaking, there seemed to be little hope. For several hundred years, there had been no prophets to convey God's words to the people. They had to make do with old prophecies and God's laws that had been known for generations. However, the temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt, and people could go there to pray and offer sacrifices. In that context, it is remarkable that Simeon “was waiting for the consolation of Israel.” He had apparently not given up hope! We also read how Simeon managed to remain so hopeful: “the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25 ESV) That Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah (Luke 2:26). ...

  The good news is spreading “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.’”  (Luke 2:10-11 NIV) The Lord Jesus was born in the silence of the night. Hardly anyone noticed that the long-awaited Messiah had come into the world. God Himself changed that. Surrounded by a majestic heavenly choir, an angel told the good news to a group of shepherds in the area. The birth of this Child was a cause for “great joy,” not only for His parents but “for all the people.” Although He now lay as a normal human baby in a makeshift crib, He would decisively change world history. This news came as a complete surprise, but at the same time it was in line with ancient prophecies. Several meaningful titles applied to this Baby: “Savior,” “Messiah”, and “Lord.” The shepherds immediately went to visit the newborn. Their slumbering hopes and expe...