Stepping Stones

A Monthly Devotional, by Michaela Popielski.

Hi! Well, this month I had a ton of trouble trying to find a topic and I realized one right before I started typing this. Rituals. Almost everywhere, everyone and everything has some kind of ritual. Even if they don’t realize it. Get up, brush teeth, breakfast, chores, school. I’m not against rituals but it got me thinking, how often do we treat Christianity as a ritual? Go to church, pray, read Bible. I’m not trying to sound like a hypocrite since this devotional could be described as just that. What I mean is doing it just because. You go to church because your parents make you or maybe there is a really cute guy or girl that you happen to like or you read the Bible because you are forced to, or simply, you were taught that if you don’t read the Bible or don’t go to church you would go to Hell. I have heard of some people around my area who believe that way though it’s mostly on TV that I hear about it and it saddens me that people think that way. Granted reading the Bible and prayer are important, and I’ve been raised to believe that, but I’ve also been taught that its about the intent of the heart.

If you go to church and read the Bible just because, then your relationship probably won’t grow, but if you have fully accepted Jesus into your heart with no ulterior motives, aka ‘get out of jail free,’ then you are going to heaven and God will give you the desire to read the Bible and give you the interest if you ask for it. Even if you accepted him with a thought of get out of jail free, then you may want to search your heart. Sometimes people accept God for that very reason. Sometimes it’s others. When I was I think 10, I wanted to get baptized. Why? No not for an example of my faith, but because everyone else was. I didn’t fully understand the reason why people got baptized till a few years later. (I got distracted easily.) But I still feel horrible about that. I can’t see or know what your heart feels or how your brain thinks and you don’t know how I think other than what I put in this article. Only you and God know and vice versa. Though, if you haven’t accepted God at all, then you will go to Hell. I am not trying to sound like a heretic or anything, but simply through what the Bible says, God said the only way to Heaven is through his son.

This topic can be debatable for who knows how long. But once again, no one can force you to believe anything. Now while you live under your parents’ roof, then you most likely have to obey their rules until you move out. But the way I see it, if we follow God fully, there is so much in store for us. Who has seen Who Nu cookies on TV? The supposedly healthy cookies. They’re healthy but the kids who haven’t seen the commercials or don’t pay attention would probably mistake them for Oreo’s. I haven’t tried them, but I want to. The stores are always out whenever I get there. But that’s kind of how I view a relationship with God. We don’t know what’s going to happen when we first start praying and reading the Bible constantly, but it will be good. If not good now – and by that I mean challenges you to test your faith, and God does test – but then in the future. Like, how when we were younger eating vegetables probably didn’t appeal to most of us, yet we were made to eat them so our bodies could grow. And to this day I still can’t eat spinach. Back to subject. But that’s kind of how a relationship with God or reading the Bible can be. Like not only Who Nu’s and veggies but also like the old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Well I guess I’ll get off the stand and allow you to start reading the verses. Happy reading! ~ Michaela

Mar 1. Prov. 24, Rev. 11

Mar 2. Gen. 17, Ps. 13

Mar 3. Ps. 37, Zech. 1

Mar 4. Prov. 25, Gen. 18

Mar 5. Isa. 4, Rev. 12

Mar 6. Malachi 1, Matt. 17

Mar 7. Acts 8:9-25, Prov. 26

Mar 8. Acts 5, Gen. 19

Mar 9. Acts 2:1-13, Isa. 5

Mar 10. Acts 2:14-47, Rev.13

Mar 11. Jer.18, Prov. 26

Mar 12. Ps.57, Luke 21:1-4

Mar. 13. Isa.5, Hos.5

Mar. 14. Gen.20, 1Cor. 9:24

Mar. 15. 1Peter 4:10, Jer. 29:11

Mar. 16. Mark 1:40-46, Rev. 14

Mar. 17. Mark 10: 35-45, Mark 11:12-19

Mar. 18. Prov. 27, John 5

Mar. 19. Eph. 6, Phili. 3

Mar. 20. 2 Thess. 3, Gen. 21

Mar. 21. 2 Tim.2:14-26, Isa. 54

Mar. 22. Prov. 28, Rev. 15

Mar. 23. Ps.1, Gen. 22

Mar. 24. Ps. 90, Ps.131

Mar. 25.  Deu. 13, Prov. 29

Mar. 26. Rev. 16, Hosea 6

Mar. 27. Joel 2:12-17, Micah 2

Mar. 28. Gen. 23, Isa. 6

Mar. 29. Prov. 30. 2, Cor. 6:10

Mar. 30. 2 Cor. 9:6-15, 2 Cor. 10

Mar. 31. Prov. 31, Gal. 2:20-21