May 31, 2026

Baskets of Blessings Day 31 by SGLY Ministry

Blessing: Success
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
Ecclesiastes 8:12 NKJV

Message:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV

Amen!

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The Log in My Eye

You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother’s eye. —Matthew 7:5

Loving people unconditionally is the greatest gift we can give them (and ourselves). I have learned that one of the secrets to my own personal peace is to let people be who God made them to be, rather than try to make people be who I would like them to be. I do my best to enjoy their strengths and be merciful toward their weaknesses because I have plenty of my own. I don’t need to try to take the speck out of someone else’s eye while I have a telephone pole in my own.

Make a decision not to look at—or for—flaws. We all have them! But you don’t have to focus on them.

Power Thought: God is merciful to me with my weaknesses, and I am merciful toward the weaknesses of others.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

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How Do I Plan?

So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. I Corinthians 2:5

Have you ever experienced the disappointment of carefully made plans? You really think that you thought through every situation only to find out that "it" just didn't end up the way you thought it would (or should).

Many of us just quit. It's so much easier to throw our hands up and say "I'm done! I tried!" and then not want to take on any more risks. As an addict, or someone with a bad habit this is just not an option unless we want to return to our old habits or ways that were literally killing us.

We have a wonderful life and God has plans for us to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). And that's the ticket. If we trust Him, and believe in Him, why do we feel so depressed that our plans failed? It's because we are relying on our plans and not God's plans. We need to be patient as perhaps God's plans are going to move slower than we want them to. And we need to be listening. Sometimes God's plans are not the same as our plans.

Let God be in control and rest in that peace. Until then do some practical things to deal with your disappointment. Some ideas include praying to God and asking for discernment. Ask Him to help you figure out if indeed your plan is God's plan. Surround yourself with those who can encourage you during disappointing times, read scripture to find peace for the disappointments. Take a break from the "plans". Do some physical exercise.

But no matter the approach - don't give up. God does have something planned.

Recovery Box

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Scripture: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. - Romans 8:37 (AMP)

Your Life in Christ by Joyce Meyer

Romans 8:37 says that believers are “more than conquerors” in this world. But do we really know what it means to be more than a conqueror and live the life Jesus died to give us as believers? To be more than a conqueror means that before you ever get a problem, you already know that whatever comes your way, you can overcome it through Christ. You live with confidence that God loves you no matter what and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

When you understand who you are in Christ, you know that with Him on the inside of you, there is nothing that can happen that’s more than you can handle because there’s nothing that’s too much for Him! First John 4:4 says, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (NIV).

God loves you so much! And He wants you to live in His love so you will always be confident that He is with you and He is for you. As 1 John 4:17 says, “...As He is, so are we in this world” (AMP). That’s the life you have in Christ!

Tip from Joyce: “ It’s so important for us to get this truth down in our hearts and see ourselves as more than conquerors through Christ because if we don’t, then our enemy, Satan, will be able to confuse us and keep us from victory. ” —Joyce

Study Suggestion: Write down the things you are struggling with—areas where you need victory. Then crumple up the paper. Physically “cast” those things into the trash can as a symbol of casting those cares on God (see 1 Peter 5:7).

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God’s Plans for You Started Before You Were Born BY RICK WARREN

“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you”(Jeremiah 1:5a The Message).

If you want to live a life of purpose and meaning, maximize the strengths God has given you. Find ways to do more of what you do well and less of what you don’t.
One reason for this is because God created you to be unique, and he wired you for a unique purpose. The Bible says, “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you” (Jeremiah 1:5a The Message).
No matter what, you can rest in the truth that God has holy plans for you. He shaped you in advance for those plans. God’s plans for your life didn’t start the moment you were born. Those plans started before your birth, when the Bible says he shaped you in your mother’s womb.
But here’s the best part. The way God shaped you reveals how he wants to use you. In other words, if you want to know what you’re supposed to do with your life, you’ve got to look intently and deeply at how God wired you.
Your SHAPE — the spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences God gave you — reveals your purpose. Set aside some time to discover your purpose, based on how God shaped you.

Talk It Over:
Consider what you do well and how God has wired you. What lessons can you draw from that about how God wants to use you for his work?
What things may make it difficult for you to figure out how God has wired you? Ask God to give you discernment about this, and ask some friends to share what they see in you — pieces that may reveal how God wired you.
What do you think about the truth that God had a purpose for you before he placed you in your mother’s womb? How might that change the way you live?

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Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. – Ephesians 4:2

Being patient with others is really hard. Other people sometimes just don’t do what you want them to do. They don’t say what you want them to say and treat you the way you wanted to be treated. Regardless of how others treat you, the Bible tells us that we are to give others a break.

We have the love of God in our hearts and we are to be loving others out of that love. It doesn’t matter what others do to us, what matters is our response to them. When faced with a person that doesn’t treat you right, you’ve got a choice to make. Will you respond to them out of anger or will you respond to them out of love?

The Bible tells us that love is always the right choice, but it isn’t always easy. So today, choose to love others. Realize that you’ve got the love of God inside you to do it. Even when they drive you crazy and make you mad, ask God to show you the good in the situation. Today, choose to practice patience with others.

http://studentdevos.com/

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Rescue by Seek Ye First the Kingdom

Though many times we feel we are struggling through challenges alone, barely hanging onto hope of rescue. We must remember, God knows. He is there with us and will bring us through in the best way for us.

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.” Psalm 91:14-15

Dear Lord, thank you for always being with us and supporting us in our troubles. When things seem hopeless, remind us to call on you, and believe your promise to rescue us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Living in God’s Presence

“Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need.” Ephesians 6:18 (NCV)

How do I live in God’s presence? How do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear?…How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:
Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his presence.

Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in silence.

Give God your whispering thoughts.…Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God.

Give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God.

By Max Lucado

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For Your Good by The Daily Encourager

God will either:
1. Fix it
2. Remove it
3. Use it

...and all three will be for your good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

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Bible Verses

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7

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And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

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Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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Psalm 84:11a – For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.

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Psalm 56:4 “In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

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If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

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Prayers

Prayer to Hear God’s Word

Dear God, There is only one voice that is perfect truth, and that is yours: the voice of your Spirit and the voice of your Word. Help me, I pray, to hear your voice clearly. For I tend to lose it in the cacophony. I am filled with the sound of my own voice, with the sense my importance and the correctness of my thought; and on top of that, I am besieged by dozens and hundreds and thousands of words and voices telling me all kinds of things.

Lead me to read your Word without listening to any voice but yours. Let me hear your truth and read your Word without adding to it or subtracting from it, without twisting it to meet the demands of my own preconceptions. Let me not deny your Word because it is inconvenient for me; even if I cannot follow it today, let me know the truth. Where your teaching and my thoughts conflict, help me to change. Help me to set aside my prejudice, my illusions of knowledge, my rationalizations, so that I can learn; and even if I do not follow your Word perfectly, let me know where to ask forgiveness. This I ask in the name of my only Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Meditation

[I drown out the voice of God with my own.]

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For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human race, O Lord; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth.

That, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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May the God of peace, who declared victory over death by the resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ, make me perfect in every thought and act through His grace, that my life might be pleasing in his sight and that I might share the perfect peace that is only possible through Him, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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God our Father, I pray that I may live in such a way that I choose wisely each day, and take responsibility for the choices that I make. Inspire me to use for good my education and all the challenges that I will face, that I may grow more fully human, and do good to those around me. Teach me to discern good from evil that I may grow in integrity of character and develop a true sense of values through following Jesus, your Son and our Brother. Amen.

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Dear Father, Thank you for this beautiful day. As I breath in the fresh air, please help me never forget that each day is a gift.