John 14:27

I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn't like the peace this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Galatians 5:1

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

God has given us the gift of Freedom

Remember the joy of wrapping up the last day of school?! From about the time we got back from Easter break...we could hardly wait for summer vacation! How about going on vacation?! I had a friend who started every vacation by taking off his watch and dropping it in a drawer...not to be seen again until returning to work.

Whether it's summer vacation from school or family vacation that gets us out of our regular work routine they all have a finite length of time before we must return. Unless we're graduating or retiring we must return. Even freedom from school and work are replaced with something else. Moving on to higher education...or involvement in a local organization...we will find the next chapter that will require our time, attention and effort.

There is one freedom we can rejoice over and keep on rejoicing and walking in. That is the freedom that Jesus Christ gives to us. Depending on the translation of the Bible you are reading sometimes you'll read: you are truly free or free indeed. Either way when you receive Christ as your personal Savior He has set you FREE. The beauty of being free in Christ is that the more we love Him we will turn that freedom into the confines of serving and loving like Jesus. And that sets us free all over again! The law doesn't bind us - instead - we are bound by the love of Jesus in our hearts. Galatians 5:1 (NLT) says, "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law."

God has given us the gift of Freedom.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Psalm 68:6

You find families for those who are lonely. You set prisoners free and let them prosper.

God has given us the gift of Family

Before the church was formed, before even the idea of clubs and organizations came to be...God created family. He knew we would need a place to represent home, to help us feel safe and loved. Sadly, there are times when we feel far from our family. We lose family members whom we love. And, at times, not all family make us feel loved and safe and home.

But not all family are tied to our bloodlines. There are those who become like family. I have friends who call them 'framily'. Friends who become family. Whether we are related by blood, or by the Spirit, our family are true gifts from God!

The testament to God's provision of family to us is found in Psalm 68:6 & 7 (NLT), "Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." When we are lonely, God finds family for us! Clearly He is committed to connecting us and meeting the need we have to belong!

God has given us the gift of Family.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 12:7

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.

God has given us the gift of Ministry

Not many of us can say we are a Minister by profession. The one called to be a Pastor or Minister has the qualifications and gifts necessary to lead or shepherd those in his or her care. However, we all have a ministry to the body of Christ. The way that we serve one another....that is our ministry.

That thing you do at your church or small group...greeting, ushering, cooking a meal, changing a diaper, working on the tech team...each of those work to serve the community of believers. Serving. In the Greek, it is diakonia, meaning "to wait tables", and is most often translated in the Bible as..."ministry".

It is serving one another, not for recognition but just because we want to contribute to the body of Christ and love like Jesus. If you are wondering what your ministry could possibly be to your church or small group...just show up...and ask "how can I help?"

Romans 12:7 (NLT) tells us, "If your gift is serving others, serve them well."

God has given us the gift of Ministry.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

1 Corinthians 7:17

May all believers continue to live the wonderful lives God has called them to live, according to what he assigns for each person, for this is what I teach to believers everywhere.

God has given us the gift of His Calling

What do you want to be when you grow up? That is such a good question to ask children. It's fun to hear their answers and can even spark some good conversation about what careers they might aspire to grow into some day. But, the pressure can mount as kids become teenagers. And that question can lead to some angst.

I remember during my senior year of high school feeling this enormous pressure to make a decision that I would be locked into for the rest of my life. Because while a few of us may know the path we are going to take after high school the rest of us are struggling to figure it out. One day a professor gave me such good advice. He told me to start moving in the direction of what I enjoy. He said that most people change direction or at least do different things on the way to figuring it out. That day I felt as if I'd been set free. I loved singing and encouraging people and so I began to move in that direction.

We may not feel that what we are doing is important but each of us are called to do something....and the world needs who we were meant to be. There is a calling on each of our lives. 1 Corinthians 7:17 (TPT) says, "May all believers continue to live the wonderful lives God has called them to live, according to what he assigns for each person, for this is what I teach to believers everywhere."

What God assigns for each person...that is our calling. Walking in the direction of what we enjoy...good advice to open the door to God's revelation to us of what we were created to do.

God has given us the gift of His Calling.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Matthew 28:20

And lo, I am with you always.

God has given us the gift of His presence

One of my favorite memories of when my children were little was hearing their little voices say, "mommy, would you stay with me?" Looking back, what I wouldn't give to hear them say that...one...more...time. Whether they were scared or lonely, or a bit of both, hearing them ask me to focus my attention on them and stay with them was so precious. Oh there were times when I thought....I have so much to do! I need to clean up the kitchen from dinner. Finish up a project. Prep things for the next day. I can remember telling myself....it won't always be this way. Someday they'll be grown up and gone and I will long for them to say, "mom, stay with me."

Today, they are busy adulting on their own. The truth is the tables have turned and it is me sometimes saying, "hey, would you sit and stay with me for a while?" Being in the unhurried presence of the ones we love is such a precious gift. I had someone give me wise advice a number of years ago...be where your feet are. Be present.

We never have to beg God for His presence. While He is bigger than the universe and busy holding everything together, He is also within our heart, ever present, holding US together, day and night, through the good times and especially the hard times. We don't have to flag Him down during a busy time and His presence is never determined or swayed by our performance.

We know this because Jesus promised us in Matthew 28:20 (ESV), "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

God has given us the precious gift of His Presence.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Genesis 2:7

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

God has given us the gift of His breath of Life

The moment that we are born something so miraculous happens. Well, there are a number of miraculous things that are happening at that moment, but that first burst of air we take into our lungs when we are born is so incredibly amazing. Our Creator, God, made us so intricately that while we are being formed in our mother's womb we can receive all the oxygen that we need through her. But the instant we are born our little lungs begin to breathe on their own. Some of us might need a little assistance to get going but eventually we get the hang of it.

God made you and I in His image. His breath is also referred to in His Word as His Spirit. Just as God is three persons in One, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...so are we...three in one. We were formed by God to have a body, a soul and a spirit. It can seem a little complicated at first but when we understand that as God breathes into us the breath of life at the moment of our birth we begin our journey on earth to make our way back to God.

When our soul makes the decision to receive Christ as our Savior, His Holy Spirit begins His work to help our spirit grow closer and more intimate with His. It is a beautiful process of restoration that only our God could do. And it all began with His breath. Genesis 2:7 (NLT) tells us, "Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person."

God has given us the gift of His breath of Life.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

God has given us the gift of Purpose

One of my favorite quotes of all time was written by Mark Twain and that is this: 'The two most important days in your life are - the day you are born - and the day you find out why.' We can spend our entire life trying to figure out that second half but one thing is assured. Each of us has a purpose.

Psalm 138:8 (ESV) says, "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands."  I believe this verse explains why sometimes we have such a difficult time discovering our purpose. In fact, I think it comes down to one particular word in that verse. And it's the word "His"! His purpose for us. Maybe we focus so much on trying to figure out what we think our purpose is in this life that we forget to ask God to reveal to us His purpose for our life.

We know that we were created to worship God and there is something about walking in what we know that leads us toward God that will help us to see what is next for us...because He is our light to our path. (Psalm 119:105) So if you are unsure of the plan God has for your life today...begin to worship Him. Worship Him with all of your heart. Trust that, in His time, He will reveal His purpose and plan to you.

God has given us the gift of Purpose.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

God has given us the gift of His Word

Standing in front of a blank canvas, or staring at a blank screen on your computer can be a bit daunting. Imagine what it was like in Genesis 1 verse 2: "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." ....a blank slate. The very next verse starts with..."Then God said,..."

He spoke. His Word started it all. The creation story is magnificent! The power of His words formed the heavens and earth, the day and the night, the creatures on land and in the sea and those that fly in the air. All the trees and vegetation....spoken into existence. When God created Adam He spoke His plan when He said "Let us make man in our image," formed him from the ground and then...God breathed HIS breath of life into Adam. What an extraordinary treasure to know that we have the breath of our Creator inside of us!

And God has continued to teach us, to lead us and inspire us through all the generations by His Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) clearly reveals this, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right."

God has given us the incredible gift of His Word.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 5:5a

Hope given by him works together to give us confidence, joy, peace, power and love. That is a true gift!

God has given us the gift of Hope

"I hope we get an Atari!" I remember my brother and I discussing our Christmas list shortly before the big day. It seemed like every kid in school had this game console...except us! I've said a lot of "I hopes" since then. I hope I make the team. I hope I make first chair. I hope I get into that college. I hope I get to travel.

That kind of hope is connected to our dreams of what else this life can hold for us. We hope for a spouse who loves Jesus and treats us like gold. We hope for children, for a career that we love and one that supports us. We hope we can get everything accomplished that we want to do! And these hopes are good to hold onto. They spur us on.

But there is a hope that never disappoints. God gives us this hope to hold onto when all the things of this earth seem out of our control and out of our reach. And this gift gives us even more. Romans 5:5a (ESV) tells us, "Hope given by Him works together to give us confidence, joy, peace, power and love. That is a true gift!" All of those things come, not from what we do or even who we are. Those are blessings from our Father who pours them out in abundance as we receive His gift of Hope.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

God has given us the gift of Time

"Excuse me, sir, could you give me the time?" That phrase may be a distant memory to those of us older than the cell phone! Today it's rare to ask that question because most of us who even care what time it is have a cell phone that prominently displays the date and the time on the home screen.

We keep track of time every day. We set a timer. Punch a time clock. Coordinate time zones and play times. Some days feel like they drag on forever and yet we get to the end of some weeks and think...where has the time gone??!! We rush by some things because we say 'I don't have time for that'. And things we have always wanted to do but never took the time to do we might excuse by saying 'I just never had the time'.

One of the best illustrations of TIME that I ever saw involved a giant pickle jar, some rocks, pebbles and a bucket of sand. The instruction was given to label the large rocks as the most important things. The smaller stones and pebbles were things you'd like to do, hope to do and sometimes urgently must do. The sand represents all the other stuff that takes our time and attention from the most important things.

When you pour the sand in and then try to fit the pebbles on top....there will be very little room left, if any, for the large rocks to fit into the jar. But, if you BEGIN with your top priorities, the large rocks, and put them in the jar first...then you have plenty of room for them as well as the pebbles that represent your important things to accomplish. Finally, pour the sand in and surprisingly it just fills in around your top priorities and other important things to get done.

That jar can represent our day...and it can also represent our life! How are we prioritizing our time? Are we taking care of the most important things first?! Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." God has given us the gift of Time. It is up to us how we use it.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 5:5b

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Genesis 21:6

And Sarah declared, God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Malachi 3:10

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

God has given us the gift of the Blessing of Heaven

That tastes like heaven! This vacation spot feels like a little slice of heaven! I've actually said both of these statements. You may have as well. We don't know what Heaven is like but when our senses are met with experiences that bring us so much happiness we can imagine that surely this must be a little bit of it! Those moments can remind us that we have something so wonderful to look forward to beyond the here and now.

Heaven seems so far away, doesn't it?! There are a few mentions of Heaven in the Bible and we know that someday we will 'get to go there' when we have received Jesus as our Savior. Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us so that where He is we can be also. That promise alone is beyond words! But what if we could experience some of Heaven while we are living here on earth?

Have you ever thought about the possibility of really experiencing Heaven on earth? How about being able to receive something that God poured out on us directly from Heaven? Did you know that Heaven has windows? There is a place in His Word that He tells us that is so. And that blessings from Heaven will be released, or poured down, on us...until there is no more need. Wow - what a promise! And what is it that activates that gift to us? When we give. Specifically, God said that when we are obedient to give our tithe to His work He would open those windows and POUR down blessings from Heaven. If we really want a taste of Heaven here on earth...Malachi 3:10 (ESV) holds the key.

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

God has given us the gift of the Blessing of Heaven.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

God has given us the gift of Prayer

A conversation begins as we look for a connection point. What do we have in common? What is the most topical or pressing thing in our shared environment? Like the weather or our favorite sports team. Time, environment and attention most often control our conversations. We see someone we really want to connect with but we're in the grocery store or we have three more stops to make on the way home and we don't feel like we have the time or space to connect. And sometimes we are just oblivious to opportunities. We miss the chance to go beyond 'hey, how are you?' with 'yeah, I'm fine.'

We often treat our prayer life with the same parameters. I'm short on time so I'll talk with God later. I need just the right ambience or the perfect tone set before I can engage in prayer. But if we really unwrapped God's gift of prayer to us we would know that He isn't hung up on time or space. We can engage in conversation with God anytime and anywhere. In fact, I believe we can talk with God no matter what else is going on around us. He wants us to talk with Him about everything!

Imagine going on a trip with our spouse or a friend. We don't reintroduce ourselves every time we begin a new conversation. And we don't need to fill up every mile of the trip with conversation. Sometimes there are miles of the trip that have no conversation. Just a quiet 'I am comfortable in your presence' kind of silence that becomes a rich and treasured part of the journey...experiencing it together...and sometimes no words are even needed.

That's the equation for a prayer journey with God. Philippians 4:6 (ESV) explains. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  

God has given us the extraordinary gift of Prayer.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God has given us the gift of Forgiveness

"You need to apologize," Mom said to me while I was still mad about how someone had treated me earlier that day. Out of town friends of the family were visiting and their son and I had gotten into a fairly heated discussion. I don't remember how old we were but I'm pretty sure it was before the age of double digits. I don't even remember what the fight was about. I just remember that it ended badly and my mom wanted me to learn what it meant to do the right thing.

Doing the right thing isn't always easy. And in this particular case, when I felt I was the one who had been wronged, it felt especially hard. But...Mom was right. I had reacted badly and I owned it...and asked for forgiveness. The irony of it all was that as mad as I was with him, asking him to forgive me made ME feel better.

I do believe the saying 'confession is good for the soul'. But it is not just the telling that sets us free. We must also open our heart to receive the forgiveness. The most important confession we will ever make is before our God. The good news is that He has promised to forgive when we do. 1 John 1:9 (NIV) is God's precious promise to each of us. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God has given us the gift of Forgiveness.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 12:3

I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.

God has given us the gift of Faith

Each of us has been given a measure of faith. Our faith can grow but it needs exercise. You might not have thought about it in that sense before but follow me for a minute. We start out with faith that when we flip a switch on the wall that the light will come on. We believe that when we turn the faucet on we will get clean water. And we trust that when we sit down either on the chair at our desk or dining room table, or our favorite comfy chair at the end of the day, that it will hold us up.

We probably don't know all the things it took to make each of those things reliable for us. We just know that they work because we've come to them over and over and - they work. What if we flip the switch and the lightbulb goes poof and the light goes out? Do we stop coming to the switch for light assuming it will never give light again? No. We change the light bulb. Or call an electrician!

When we begin our journey with God that measure of faith, that little faith seed, that God gave us begins to grow as we experience His faithfulness to us over and over. Oh there will be times when we pray and ask God to do something and He doesn't answer us the way we expected. We exercise our faith not in deciding that God doesn't work. No, we exercise our faith at that point in trusting and believing that God is at work even when we can't see the results. That's how our faith grows!

God has given us the gift of Faith. Romans 12:3 (CEV) says, "I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you."

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Acts 2:38

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit

I remember when BOGO started becoming a thing. Stores would advertise "Buy One, Get One". Sometimes it was - buy one, get one FREE. Sometimes - buy one, get one half-price. Either way it was always a good way to stock up. Or get one for a friend. Somewhere along the way "Buy One, Get One" became BOGO. And it's still one of the best incentives for catching my attention!

We celebrate the birth of the Messiah and that Jesus came to save us. We would indeed be lost without Him. After His death and resurrection He told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them, and us, and would send the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 (ESV) tells us, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Of course, we could never buy our salvation. Christ's redemption of us to the Father is a priceless gift. He knew that we would also need His Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide and direct us. He helps us in so many ways as we live out our days on this mission field we call life. How wonderful that we are blessed to worship God the Father, Son & Holy Ghost!

We may have known we needed a Savior; today, I am grateful that when we chose to accept Jesus as our Savior, God also gave us His Holy Spirit to help us to keep living it out each day.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Psalm 103:10,11

You may discipline us for our many sins, but never as much as we really deserve. Nor do you get even with us for what we’ve done. Higher than the highest heavens— that’s how high your tender mercy extends!

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

1 Corinthians 12:8

Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit.

God has given us the gift of Knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:8 (CEV) tells us"Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit."

But how does that work? What does the gift of knowledge actually look like? Have you ever known something that there was just no possible explanation of how you knew it? The world calls it "having a sixth sense". You might call it intuition. But if you are a believer, a follower of God, that intuition is a gift that God calls knowledge.

A few weeks ago as I was walking into work in the early morning before the sun came up, I saw my shadow and instantly I heard God's quiet whisper say, "you can't see a shadow without the presence of light". Immediately I was reminded of Psalm 23 that says 'even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.' I knew that God was giving me reassurance that I need not fear what was before me because God was with me...lighting the darkness.

Later that same day, my husband, Ken, had a doctor's appointment that would bring results we didn't want to hear. And I knew that God had given me a gift earlier that morning. It was the knowledge that even when we find ourselves walking through the valley of the shadow of death....we needed to remember that we wouldn't even be able to see that shadow...if it weren't for the presence of God and His light surrounding us.

We can thank God today for His gift of knowledge.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

2 Timothy 1:6-7

So I ask you to make full use of the gift God gave you when I placed my hands on you. Use it well. God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.

God has given us the gift of Courage

One of my favorite movies to watch when I was growing up was "The Wizard of Oz". And of the characters that Dorothy befriended on her journey to find a way home, the cowardly lion was my favorite. Lions are supposed to be brave and strong. The king of the jungle. Instead, the lion was afraid of everything...even himself!

Later we realize that although the lion thinks of himself as cowardly, he is actually more brave than he realized. He just needed someone to come alongside him and remind him of who he was really meant to be.

We were meant to live courageously. In fact, God gives us the power to be brave through His Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (CEV) says, "So I ask you to make full use of the gift God gave you when I placed my hands on you. Use it well. God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control."

I love that God is specific in giving us those three together. Courage without love can make us cruel and courage without self-control can make us bullies. So we'll gladly receive His trio of gifts in just the right amount to make full use of His gift of courage.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

God has given us the gift of Love

The dictionary defines the word beloved as a dearly loved person. There's something different about a person who knows they are dearly loved. They carry themselves differently. There's a confidence in them and a sense of peace.

When we know we are loved we are more likely to look outside of ourselves to love others. It's why little ones respond so quickly to love and give love so easily to others. There's something so precious to watch a child hug another child or share something with another. It's God's gift of love in action in such a pure setting.

We love because God first loved us. Even at our most unlovable...God never stops loving us. In fact, we are His beloved. Dearly loved. His love for us changes us. Without it, we wouldn't be able to really love others, or ourselves.

Receiving God's love enables us to walk confidently in His promises. God's love in our heart helps us to love others more. 1 John 4:7 (ESV) says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

God has given us the gift of love.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

2 Timothy 2:7

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

God has given us the gift of Understanding

After high school I moved to Charlotte, NC to intern at a very well known ministry. My roommate was an amazing young lady who was studying to be a counselor and soon after we became roommates I discovered that she was bilingual. She was born in Cuba and her parents had come to the United States when she was 2. The crazy thing was that when I met her I could not detect even a hint of her ability to speak Spanish. Until the first time she called home and I didn't hear a single word of English! I couldn't understand anything she was saying...until I heard my name mentioned...so then I wanted to know what she was telling them about me!

My roommates' ability to be able to weave back and forth between two languages was a gift. Never was I more grateful for her gift than when I traveled home with her to stay with her family during spring break that year. While her parents understood a smattering of English, they spoke next to none. Without her we had very little chance of really communicating with each other.

There are so many things in this world that we just cannot understand on our own. God has given us the gift of understanding.  2 Timothy 2:7 (NASB) says, "Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." Without His understanding we might find ourselves in really difficult situations that we would have little hope of finding our way through. We can be thankful today to receive God's gift of Understanding.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

James 1:5

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

God has given us the gift of Wisdom

'What were you thinking??!!' Have you ever said that to someone or maybe someone said that to you after a less than favorable outcome? Whether we rushed into something or reacted without thinking things through, we have probably all found ourselves in this situation at least once.

The excuse could be that we just didn't know. Maybe being young and inexperienced was part of it. Or maybe we just didn't take the time to get advice and instead jumped head first into it. There is a way to steer clear of faulty decisions and maneuver our way through many difficult situations. PRAY! Ask God for wisdom to know how to make the right choices. Lean into Him and wait for His direction until you have peace in your decision.

One of the promises of God that I love and cherish most is that He promises to respond to our prayer for wisdom. In fact, He even said He would give us a generous portion of wisdom when we ask Him. How valuable is THAT in this crazy world??!!

James 1:5 (NLT) promises us, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."  God has given us the gift of Wisdom.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

2 Corinthians 5:18

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

God has given us the gift of Reconciliation

My first job was during tax season at a tax preparation office as a receptionist. When I received my very first paycheck I asked my mom to help me open up a student checking account at the local bank. It wasn't high finance but I learned some important things with that experience. You don't write checks for money you don't have in your account. And it is better to 'reconcile' your account each month when the statement arrives.

Reconciling my check register to the monthly bank statement was pretty easy until ATM's came along. Forgetting to enter cash withdrawals caught up with me on more than one occasion. If my register was off by even a penny - it drove me crazy! Agreeing with what the bank said I really had in my account, or reconciling, became a dreaded activity pretty quickly. Making one equal the other?! Let's just say there were a few times that I just skipped a few spaces, drew a line...and started over.

God threw out all the math, all the equations that never came up equal, every way that man tried to find his or her way back to right-standing with Him when He sent His Son, Jesus, to reconcile us back to the Father. Our life would never be reconciled to God without God's willingness to draw a line and give us the opportunity to begin again.

2 Corinthians 5:18 (NLT) says "And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him."

Not only did He reconcile us to Himself, but He gave us the task of helping others find reconciliation in Him as well. God has given us the beautiful gift of reconciliation.

Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 1

  Treasured Inside is a collection of notes that reflect the intersection of Denise Harper's life of everyday, ordinary things with our extraordinary God. From junk drawers to sticky notes and passports to thrift stores and everything in between, she finds a way to connect the mundane of the day to the magnificent heart of God.
  
  Denise Harper’s book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 1," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...

• 
  Treasured Inside Devotion, Vol. 2

  Treasured Inside: Devotions with Denise, Volume 2, beautifully expresses the love letter God has already written for each of us. Do you sometimes feel distant from the Word? This book gently invites you to pause, connect more deeply with Jesus, and enjoy His comforting presence.
  
  Denise Harper’s NEW book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise - Volume 2," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...