Soul Talks with PB

Not Following Feelings, but Forming HeartsScripture: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” — Psalm 51:10The popular advice to “follow your heart” sounds freeing, but Scripture paints a wiser picture. God does not call us to follow our hearts; He calls us to surrender them. Left unformed, the heart is easily driven by emotions, impulses, and short-term desires that promise happiness but often leave regret behind.David understood this deeply. He didn’t ask God to excuse his heart, justify it, or simply heal his feelings. He asked God to create a clean heart. Transformation, not affirmation, was his deepest need.Reflection: Are you more inclined to follow your heart—or to offer it fully to God for transformation?Prayer: God, I stop trusting my feelings as my final guide. Shape my heart according to Your will.Listen to our Daily Devotions through various platforms at https://devo.rlcc.ph

Guarding the Control CenterScripture: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23When Scripture says “above all else,” it leaves no room for competition. Careers, families, ministries, finances—these all matter. But none of them sits at the center of life the way the heart does. The heart is not just where emotions live; it is the control center of the soul. Every desire, priority, and motivation flows out from it.We often work hard managing external responsibilities while leaving our inner life unexamined. Yet God calls us to guard the heart like a city gate, knowing that whatever enters or exits will shape the whole city. A neglected heart eventually produces a disordered life.Reflection: What have you been carefully managing lately—while leaving your heart unattended?Prayer: Lord, help me take my heart seriously. Teach me to guard what shapes my life the most.Listen to our Daily Devotions through various platforms at https://devo.rlcc.ph

Returning, Not Starting OverScripture: Hebrews 2:1-41 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Re-centering your mind does not mean starting over. It means returning. Faith is not sustained by constant intensity, but by regular reorientation. Each time you notice drift and turn back to Christ, your faith grows deeper and steadier.This week, pay attention to your reactions—especially in moments of stress or negativity. Let those moments become invitations to pause, breathe, and say, “Jesus, I return my attention to You.”Re-centering is not failure. It is faith in motion.Prayer:Lord Jesus, when I drift, lead me back. Teach me to return my attention to You again and again.

The Gospel Is Worth Paying Attention ToScripture: Hebrews 2:3b–4This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. The gospel is not a fragile message resting on human opinion. It was announced by the Lord, confirmed by witnesses, and testified to by God Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Spirit together affirm its truth.To drift from such a message is not only dangerous—it is unnecessary. God has gone to great lengths to make His salvation clear and accessible. He wants us to live anchored in it.Today, let gratitude draw your attention back to Christ. The gospel is worth your focus.Prayer:Triune God, thank You for revealing Your salvation so clearly. Help me treasure what You have given.

Ignoring the Gospel Has ConsequencesScripture: Hebrews 2:2–3a2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?The warning in Hebrews is serious because the gift is precious. The gospel is not just one truth among many; it is the center of our hope. When we ignore it—when we neglect to attend to it—our lives slowly lose direction.This does not mean God abandons us at the first sign of drift. But it does mean that life outside the daily influence of the gospel becomes unstable and unsafe. We were not designed to thrive apart from Christ.Today, consider what it looks like to give the gospel your attention again—not as a duty, but as a lifeline.Prayer:Jesus, remind me of the greatness of the salvation You have given. Keep me close to You.

Drift Is Quiet, Grace Is PatientScripture: Hebrews 2:1–21 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Drift happens quietly. No alarms go off. No dramatic moments mark the change. One day, however, we realize that what once stirred our hearts now barely moves us. The good news no longer feels quite so good.God does not respond to our drift with impatience. He responds with invitation. Scripture does not shame us for drifting; it calls us to pay attention again. Grace meets us not at the moment of perfection, but at the moment of awareness.If you sense drift today, remember this: noticing is already a work of grace. God is nearer than you think.Prayer:Gracious God, thank You for Your patience with me. Help me return my attention to You today.

When Attention FadesScripture: Hebrews 2:1“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”Drift rarely announces itself. It happens when attention fades—when what once held our focus slowly moves to the background. Most spiritual drift is not caused by rebellion, but by distraction. We do not stop believing the gospel; we simply stop paying attention to it.The writer of Hebrews reminds us that faith requires attentiveness. Growth does not come from intensity alone, but from steady, intentional focus. What we repeatedly attend to shapes how we think, how we feel, and how we live.Today, notice where your attention naturally goes. Ask God to help you gently return your focus to Him—not out of fear, but out of love.Prayer:Lord, help me notice where my attention has wandered. Teach me to return to You with trust and humility.

A Hope Worth Sharing📖 Luke 2:36–38 (NIV)“There was also a prophet, Anna… She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”ExplanationAnna had waited decades, yet when she saw Jesus, her response was immediate gratitude and bold witness. She spoke about Him to everyone who shared the same longing for redemption.True hope cannot remain silent. When God fulfills His promise, worship naturally overflows into testimony. Anna’s story reminds us that no one is too old, too unseen, or too late to be used by God.ApplicationChristmas (or any other time) is a powerful opportunity to speak about Jesus. You don’t need perfect words—just a grateful heart. Share what Jesus means to you and how He has met your deepest longings.Who in your life needs to hear that Jesus is their hope too?PrayerLord, fill my heart with gratitude and courage like Anna’s. Help me share the hope I have found in Jesus with those who are still longing. Amen.

Salvation Has a Face and a Name📖 Luke 2:28–32 (NIV)“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’”ExplanationSimeon did not say he had seen a plan, a system, or a solution. He said he had seen salvation—and salvation was a Person. Jesus is not merely the messenger of hope; He is hope itself.This salvation is both personal and global. It is for Israel and for the Gentiles, for insiders and outsiders alike. God’s promise was not just fulfilled—it was revealed to the world.ApplicationIn difficult times, we often look for answers in strategies or circumstances. Simeon reminds us that true peace comes from encountering Jesus Himself. When Christ becomes the center of our hope, we can have peace even when life is uncertain.Today, hold Jesus close. Let your confidence rest not in what might change, but in the Savior who never changes.PrayerJesus, You are my salvation and my peace. Help me fix my eyes on You, not on my fears or circumstances. Thank You for being my hope today. Amen.