Nikao (verb)/nik-ah'-o/ (Greek) To conquer, triumph, overcome, to be victorious
What an Easter Sunday! Even though it was celebrated unusually in the midst of social distancing, I hope it was still a beautiful day to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection — a fundamental, guiding premise of our belief and the greatest act of love ever committed. “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the…
Before we go any further on this blog. Before we write any more devotionals about anything, I just want to pause for a second and present the Gospel (the good news of God) to those who have never accepted Jesus, and to those who believe in God, but are not 100% sure they are going…
During the last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective. The way we perceive any situation, whether with pessimism, optimism or somewhere in between, affects our mood and our ability to learn from these situations. In this life, it’s not a matter of if we’ll experience seasons of loss and heartache and failure,…
Think of a place you’re most comfortable in – past or present. Maybe it’s a relative’s home, a best friend’s bedroom, a favorite teacher’s classroom, a sunny beach. For me, reminiscing about my childhood home makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. The harmony created within these walls was a solid rock throughout my ever-changing…
As I watched Freedom Writers (again) this past weekend, parts of the movie struck me differently this time around. In particular, there is a scene where the students successfully raise enough money to bring Miep Gies to speak to their class – the woman who secretly housed Anne Frank and her family during the holocaust.…
People Pleasing – Sigh. It can become quite overwhelming to complete a task list while simultaneously pleasing everyone and maintaining a level head (I’ve tried it). Being tugged in many different ways, without consulting God first will prove unsuccessful every time. “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or…
From uncomfortable situations to joyous occasions, everything we encounter is intentional. As we continue to live out God’s will for our lives, situation after situation will prepare us for continued elevation. However, if we hide our purpose, or become lazy in fulfilling our purpose, God has nothing to elevate. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by…
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NIV) When life hits hard, I…
I have an irrational fear that one day my car will flip over a bridge I seldom take home from work. I fear falling in the water below and leaning on superwoman tricks as my only way out. So, I avoid that highway – even though some days it gives me a quicker commute. The…
Many times when life deals me a losing hand, I just want to lay in the bed under all my covers until it’s time for my hand to be dealt again. I would rather not deal with the tests, trials and temptations of the world. I would rather turn a blind eye to it and…
The Nikao Collection 