Write from My Heart

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

The Choice to Remain Faithful

1 John 2:20-29 ²⁰But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. ²¹I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. ²²Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. ²³No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. ²⁴As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵And this is what he promised us—eternal life. ²⁶I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ²⁷As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as the anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. ²⁸And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. ²⁹If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

As I considered how best to approach today’s text, I decided to first define “antichrist” in the general sense of the word. After consulting a number of sources, my best generalization of “antichrist” would be anyONE or anyTHING that denies or is in opposition to Christ. How many things in the world today pull us away from focus on our Savior! However, John reminds us that we know the truth. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior IS the Truth. If we know Him, we also know our Heavenly Father. This is the truth we have been taught since childhood. Our goal in life is to remain faithful to the teachings we have learned since childhood—or for new Christians, to remain faithful to your new commitment to follow Christ. This is a daily choice; and for some of us, a moment-by-moment choice. For all of us it is a conscientious choice—a committed choice—a choice to remain faithful.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Give us strength each day to choose to remain faithful. May we then be confident and unashamed at the soon-coming and glorious return of your Son, Jesus Christ.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion The Choice to Remain Faithful was originally written for Monday, November 26, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Cleverly Devised Stories

2 Peter 1:16-21 ¹⁶For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “this is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ¹⁸We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. ¹⁹We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

During my early childhood I was fairly genius at creating “cleverly devised stories.” I could explain almost any mistake with eloquence. On one family vacation I remember slipping in the mud. I immediately doused my dry foot into the muddy water—reasoning that if my shoes looked the same, my mother would not notice. Somehow, and being only 4 or 5 at the time, the fact that my new sneakers were white while the mud was black seemed to escape my logic. My cleverness did not fool anyone, especially not my mother, and there could be no cleverly devised story sufficient to avoid the consequences of ruining brand new shoes.

Peter writes to Christians dealing with the dangers of being confused by false teachers and their cleverly devised stories. Peter assures these dear ones that he speaks truth concerning Jesus Christ. From personal experience he assures the group that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Peter continues with the instruction to “pay attention” to the truth even all the more as we wait for the Morning Star to return.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Help us to identify and cling to the truth of your Word. Keep us steadfast in your care as we await the soon return of your Son, Jesus Christ.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion Cleverly Devised Stories was originally written for Wednesday, October 24, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Friday, June 5, 2026

Confident Expectation

Romans 15:4-6, 13 ⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and with encouragement they provide we might have hope. ⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ... ¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How many of these phrases have you heard recently? I hope I win the lottery. I hope I get a raise. I hope I meet Mr. (or Mrs.) Right. These are common uses for the word hope. And yet, a quick check with a dictionary reveals that hope is actually wanting or wishing for something with “a feeling of confident expectation.” In other words, hope is believing with assurance that what we wish for will become a reality.

Today’s text reminds us that God is the true source of all hope. The hope spoken of in this text is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Contrary to some of the more frivolous earthly hopes mentioned above, the true desire and hope of every Christian should be the soon-coming return of Christ! This is the Blessed Hope for which we wait with patience and endurance. Oh that we would live with confident expectation that God’s promises will indeed become a reality! This is a call to renew our expectation and anticipation of Christ’s imminent return. What a difference this will make in our daily walk with Him!

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, in whom we live with confident expectation of that Blessed Hope, the promised and imminent Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion Confident Expectation was originally written for Tuesday, July 3, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Thursday, June 4, 2026

More Than Peanut Butter

Romans 3:21-25 ²¹But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

Dunedin Elementary School, FL, 1968, 5^th grade. I still recall doing quite an extensive report on George Washington Carver. I was particularly interested in all of his inventions and uses for the common peanut. Did you know that a small dab of peanut butter can remove sticky residue from labels? It’s true. Who could imagine with the wide variety of cleaning agents in the average household, that a small dab of peanut butter would work just as well to remove most sticky substances?

We are reminded in our text today that all of us are sinful creatures. Big sins—little sins… it makes no difference—we all have sin that needs removal. We need something far more than peanut butter or any of the world’s remedies. God has provided the solution we need. We have the gift of Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The precious blood of Christ, which was shed for the remission of our sins, cleanses us from every tiny bit of sin’s sticky residue in our lives.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

We humbly thank you for the gift of salvation through your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive us where we fail you, and help us to keep our eyes focused on You.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion More Than Peanut Butter was originally written for Monday, May 28, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

All About Me

1 Corinthians 14:4, 6-12 ⁴Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. ... ⁶Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? ⁷Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ⁹So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. ¹²So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.

A few weeks ago I experienced one of those rare moments with “extra” time on my hands. Turning on television, I found a landscaping show with neighbors competing to build the best backyard. This neighbor needed a larger patio; that neighbor needed a garden retreat. Each person has their own needs; each need seemed more important than their neighbor’s need. Okay—enough. Let’s change the channel and try watching a cooking show. No, wait…it’s a race to see who can complete the best meal. This cook needs to win; that cook needs to win. How about home renovation shows? The home-owners have a great house…but it doesn’t meet their needs because the cabinets are the wrong color and the flooring is outdated. I was soon reminded of the reason I do not watch much television! Everything seemed so self-centered. With the exception of changes in topic; each show had a universal theme: All About Me.

Our Bible passage for today reminds us we are to focus on those things that edify the church. The two-fold topics of prophecy and tongues are challenging topics; ones that could and should take several hours of exploration to fully discern correct understanding. But the problem identified by Paul is universal, and still is problematic today: All About Me. Believers were using the more flashy gift of speaking in tongues to draw attention to themselves, rather than to edify the church. We must remember the ways of the world will always tempt us to focus on self—but the ways of the Lord teach us to focus on love, which includes encouraging, building up, and edifying others.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

May our lives be full of encouragement and love for others, and in so doing, may we be living witnesses for Thee.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion All About Me was originally written for Thursday, March 15, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Full Inclusion

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 ¹Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, ²To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: ³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—⁶God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

During my teaching years, I was required to treat all students “the same.” I always found this a bit ironic since my students were all different and came into my classroom with various educational needs. I recognized the intent of the term “full inclusion” meant that all students should be able to learn in my classroom setting without being pulled out to separate classes for special needs. In an educational setting, this system works quite well for most lessons and for most students. Yet I also fully recognized that some students needed more assistance than others. That is called reality.

As Christians, we are all one in Christ. However, that does not give us full inclusion within the context of the worldly setting and influence. Today’s text reminds us that we are called to be God’s own Holy people—separate from the world. Through Christ, God has given us everything we need to remain faithful in spite the world’s secular influence. Ironically, some of us need more assistance to resist the world’s pull than others. How blessed we are that God is attentive to all of our needs.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for providing the strength we need each day to be your own Holy people and to resist the temptations of the world.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion Full Inclusion was originally written for Wednesday, February 1, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Monday, June 1, 2026

D-Words and T-Words

James 3:7-12 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Years ago we had a little dachshund, and with some embarrassment I admit that our miniature dachshund, Flea, reduced conversation in our household to a system of code talking. For example, there were specific D-words and T-words. Flea’s ears would droop with disappointment to hear “Doodle,” meaning time to go outside. However “Treat” was a word that always resulted in happy yipping and tail-wagging.

As it was in Flea’s world, so it is in the human world. Each day we have opportunity to utter words—either to build one another up, or hurt one another. Our text for today reminds us how difficult it is to tame our tongue. I am reminded of a quote by Wentworth Dillon in Art of Poetry, “Words once spoke can never be recall’d.” We must choose our words carefully.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Soften our hearts, and in so doing, soften our words. Let our words encourage and lift up one another, spurring us on to do good work, and all the more as we await your soon return.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion D-Words and T-Words was originally written for Tuesday, January 10, 2012; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Friday, May 29, 2026

Hope in the Lord

Psalm 130:1-5 ¹Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; ²Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. ³If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? ⁴But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. ⁵I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

As each year draws to a close, many people begin to formulate resolutions for the coming year. I once heard that the top resolution is the resolve to lose weight in the coming year. If I remember correctly that resolution is somewhere within the top 70 percent. For Christians, another resolution we often consider is one to renew our relationship with our Heavenly Father through personal devotions. Even with the best intentions we may falter and return to a sporadic devotional schedule. Why does this happen? Sometimes the answer is simply that we try to do it ourselves or within our own strength, and this seldom succeeds in the long term.

Our text for today is quite clear. If our Heavenly Father kept a record of our sins, how could we survive? He offers the forgiveness we need. He is our hope and our future. We can count on our Heavenly Father. If you resolve to deepen your daily spiritual life during the coming year, remember success comes when you place your hope in Him.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

How we praise you for the gift of redemption from every kind of sin! May our hope in you spur us onward to desire a closer walk within your will, and more dedication to the reading of your Word.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

The devotion Hope in the Lord was originally written for Thursday, December 8, 2011; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com