Category: Bible

Christian

Boldly Sharing the Gospel

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 12/9/25

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 NIV

My Prayer: Lord, give us the boldness to freely share the Gospel with those around us.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Hope in Times of Despair

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Monday, 12/8/25

"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

This is a familiar verse to many of us. To understand the depth of meaning in this verse, we must understand what happened before Jeremiah said these words.

Jeremiah prophesied to the people of Israel, but the people didn’t like what God had to say, so they listened to the false prophets instead. They hated Jeremiah because he spoke the truth. They threw him in a pit and threw stones at him while he sat in the mud.

Because they refused to listen to God, Jerusalem was destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah grieved deeply for Israel, the people and city he loved.

Look at verses 19-21 of Lamentations 3. Jeremiah said,

“I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

When the worst has happened, and we don’t understand why God has allowed it, if we remember God’s great love, compassion, and faithfulness, we will have hope.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

When We Don’t See God at Work

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for 12/7/25

Now Thomas ... was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:24-29

Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what He sees. This is the very essence of faith—we don’t see God at work, but we have confidence in Him anyway. We must actively obey Him and have confidence in His love for us before He will bless us.

CHARLES STANLEY, Life Principles Bible Notes

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

How to Study the Bible: What I’ve Learned

Cindy Dawson

1. Study the Bible before you read books and/or listen to popular YouTube preachers. Read it cover to cover at least once, twice, or more.

I’ve loved to study the Bible for over 40 years. Unfortunately, in those early years, I made some big mistakes that led me to false teaching. I got up before dawn, before I had to get my children ready for school, so I could study the Bible.

The problem was this: I looked to books about the Bible and to popular “Bible teachers” for understanding. Even though my heart was after God, I was seduced by Word of Faith teaching, which eventually led me to become heavily involved with a NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) church.

Seduced? Yes seduced! It can be very enticing to read books by popular “Bible teachers” who appear to understand the deeper things of God.

2. Study verses in context.

In other words, if you read a single verse but fail to interpret its meaning from the context, you might completely misunderstand its meaning. For example,

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 ESV

“All things” means all things. Right? I can win this football game! I can get this job! Wrong!

Only when you look at this verse in context will you understand what Paul was trying to convey. First of all, Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison with no idea of its duration or ultimate outcome. (“…I am in chains for Christ.” Philippians 1:13)

And in chapter 4, look at verses 11 and 12:

“I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Read full chapter

Paul is teaching the church at Philipi to stay hopeful, encouraged, and joyful no matter their circumstances.

This is one of many examples of a verse taken out of context to teach a false interpretation. Always study verses in context.

3. Use a good Bible translation.

Personally, I like the NIV, the ESV, and the NASB. Be aware that some Bible translations are not reliable. For example, The Passion Translation is not considered an accurate or reliable translation by many scholars and critics. (See Holly Pivic’s article, ” Important Facts about the Passion Translation for more.)

Personally, I do not recommend The Message Bible for several reasons. You can find several articles that provide critical information about this Bible HERE.

Conclusion: If you do these three things, you will be well on your way to understanding the Bible correctly. These are things I learned the hard way. But God is faithful! He rescued me from deception.

My Advice: Seek Truth. Love Truth.

Other posts related to this topic:

The Skill of Discernment

Rescued From “Word of Faith”

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Don’t Give In to the Devil’s Lies

Cindy Dawson

2-minute devotion for Friday, 12/5/25

Does the devil ever whisper in your ear, saying, “You’re not good enough.”? You think maybe it’s true. Or, perhaps he reminds you of your past mistakes and sins. You wonder if that’s your own conscience or the devil.

If that happens to you (like it does to me), remember the words of the Apostle Paul:

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

I wonder if the devil whispered those lies in the ear of Paul. After all, he murdered Christians at one time! He says,

“I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.” Acts 22:4

But what did Paul do? He forgot what was behind and pressed on! That is exactly what we must do!

“Spiritual shame is unwarrented and unnecessary for the believer… When we confess, God forgives. And when God forgives, He does so completely. If guilt short-circuits our service to God, it’s not the Holy Spirit who is putting on the brakes. That is the enemy trying to take our legs out from under us before we have the chance to do some good for the kingdom.”

amir tsarfati (from his book, exploring ezekiel)

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said,

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

God’s Irrevocable Covenant with Israel

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Thursday, 12/4/25

“I  ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.” Romans 11:1-2

“God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

“And when it comes to Israel, this has never been – and will never be – a political topic. It is a divine covenant. No matter which government leads this small nation – liberal, conservative, or in between – God continues to preserve, protect, and fight for His people, even while they remain in unbelief. To those who claim that Israel has somehow fallen from grace, I can only say: God’s promises are not dependent on human faithfulness but on His unchanging nature.”

Amir Tsarfati

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Perfect Trust in God

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 12/3/25

Jesus modeled perfect trust when He prayed, 

“Not My will, but Yours be done” Luke 22:42, NASB

“This was not resignation but confidence in the Father’s wisdom. Such trust becomes the hallmark of those who know Him, a settled peace that transcends circumstance and a gratitude that endures through trial.
To know the Father is to find rest in His unchanging nature,to rely on His faithfulness even when His purposes remain unseen.” (emphasis mine)

bruce cooper, reasoned cases for christ knowing the father through the son

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

What Is the Mystery God Revealed to Paul?

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 12/2/25

"This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 3:6

In his Holman New Testament Commentary on Ephesians, Max Anders helps us understand why Paul repeatedly emphasizes the oneness of the body… It’s because Jews and Gentiles worshiping together was such a miracle… For example, a Jew would walk 150 miles out of his way to avoid going through Samaria! It was a truly revolutionary time in the church.

Read the entire 3rd chapter of Ephesians and note where Paul says, “For this reason,” and “Therefore”. It will help you better understand verses that we often read or recite out of context.

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog


Christian

Do You Need Rest Today?

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Monday, 12/1/25

“Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find [b]rest for your souls.  For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NASB Read full chapter

His burden is light does not mean that there are no problems, trials, labor, or heartaches in the Christian life. But it does mean that we do not have to bear them alone. We are yoked with One who gives sufficient grace for every time of need.  Believer’s Bible Commentary

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

From Darkness to Light

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Sunday, 11/30/25

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

“I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3

The following is my first attempt to write a song. I’m still learning how to use Suno, but I would like to share it with you. Comments welcomed.

🎶 YOU RESCUED ME

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog