Ardith Keef Daily Devotional

The Real Test:

Ardith Keef — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:10:28 +0000

The Real Test:

What if we prayed about always learning and growing in the area of how we treat people?

It starts at home.

Not having to be right and not having to convince anyone that you are right;
Listening when you don't feel like it;
Learning when to advise and when not to advise;
Doing the right thing even when you know it will bring a difficult reaction;
Praying about the mouth- always praying about the mouth. Oh, the mouth that gets so quick and casual at home.

We must be available to be changed in the most basic areas. If we are being changed into His Likeness, there is no point of arrival in this life.

I must be available. I must learn to love correction. I must decrease and He must increase. That is deeper than adopting changed behavior because absent the work of the Indwelling Holy Spirit, behavior change can't last.

This is not behavior modification. It is His deepest work in us.

Our job is to Love Him and to love our neighbor. A deep, sweet, cleansing work. A fruit of submission. A fruit of obedience.

Bring it to Him. Aloud.

Today.

Ardith Keef Mon, 11/17/2025 - 09:10

Way Down Deep:

Ardith Keef — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:02:26 +0000

Way Down Deep:

What a wonderful privilege it is to know that we are being transformed into His likeness as long as we are here.

We must continue to scour the Word of God concerning that mater(s) that are still with us.

Everyone has something that may be completely private but is still a struggle and has to be brought to the Lord in prayer. Absolutely everyone. We are all being transformed. Corrected. Redirected.

Some matters are visible but most are not and are often left unconfronted. Impatience, selfishness, greed, loving to gossip, quietly judging others, and always having to be right are just a few. Sometimes it can be a deep, cemented grief that becomes a way to feel still attached to the one who has gone on before.

Soldier of The cross, this is not about self-examination other than letting the Word reveal what the Holy Spirit shows us when the time is appropriate.

While we are here, the matter is, our job is Love. Not fixing ourselves.

But when something is shown to us, we submit, ask to be corrected, and we serve. And we Love.

This is a constant matter for prayer.

Bring it to the Lord today. Aloud.
Then, look up and move on!

Ardith Keef Fri, 11/14/2025 - 09:02

His Real Touch:

Ardith Keef — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:52:06 +0000

His Real Touch:

Soldier of The Cross, the fact is, He is in the business of preparing us for Eternity.

That means we must be willing to continue to be changed. All the time.

No one arrives to a level of having it all together in this life. Transformation is a frontier and an exciting one if we learn to submit to the surgical knife of the Lover of our Souls.

Although we must not be preoccupied with ourselves, at the same time, we must always be asking to transformed into His likeness. That means submitting to the vision of what His Touch brings.

It is so easy to settle into living as thought this were your real and permanent life.

It is not.

Your life is over there. We are being prepared. It is not something to be grasped intellectually and understood by analysis. It is a matter of believing what He has said and requires declaring in prayer that you will put your weight down on it. It is a willingness and actually, and eagerness to be changed.

Oh Soldier! Tell Him today.
Aloud.

Then, look up and move on!

Ardith Keef Wed, 11/12/2025 - 19:52

The Rock of Ages:

Ardith Keef — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:36:04 +0000

The Rock of Ages:

All who have pressed into serving the Lord have opposition that is spurred by the enemy.

It is usually false or distorted. And, the assault frequently comes by someone close to you or someone you have helped greatly.

It is not your battle. It is His.

“For the Lord God helps Me,
Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated.
Therefore, I have made My face like flint,
And I know that I shall not be put to shame.

He who declares Me in the right is near;
Who will [dare to] contend with Me?
Let us stand up to each other;
Who is My adversary?
Let him approach Me.

In fact, the Lord God helps Me;”
Isaiah 50:7-9a (Amplified Bible)

Ardith Keef Fri, 03/21/2025 - 10:36

The Rattle:

Ardith Keef — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:42:11 +0000

The Rattle:

How quickly are you offended or irritated?

So many Christians accumulate knowledge and seek spiritual experiences, yet don't really know how to live.

We all need to be being changed. All the time. The prayer life must be about being more like Him and about praying for others rather than focusing on fixing or gaining.

Soldier of The Cross, what last sent you into a spin? How did you pray for that person or situation?

We all need to be reminded of the basics:

This world is not my home;
I need to be changed;
I can choose my thoughts and do not have to listen to whatever comes into my head;
I can't make it happen if it is not of the Lord;
I need to be changed;
God's Word makes it clear that I must not harbor anything against anyone - I don't have to be chummy, but in prayer and by faith I must move forward and forgive even if I know the relationship is done;
Did I mention that I need to be changed?

What do you want? Who do you want to be like? Who has that Power?

The Word washes. And it is “. . . a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. . . " (Psalm 119:105)

It feels hard, but it is a process by faith and in prayer. Agreeing with God is such a release.

Tell Him. Aloud

Ardith Keef Thu, 01/02/2025 - 10:42

Restoration:

Ardith Keef — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:23:37 +0000

Restoration:

"He restoreth my soul. . . "

If you are in agreement with God and have set that as a priority, He will restore your soul until you have crossed over.

Restoration is more than one season of life. We are not being restored to what we were before the wound but we are being restored from the consequences of the fall of man.

Soldier, the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: 22, 23 is the evidence of this restoration.

There must be a prayerful and regular taking in of the Word.
There must be conscious agreement with God.
There must be a willingness, even eagerness to embrace correction.
There must be a ministry of love extended to others, and that includes jerks.

It's a matter of wanting to be like Him and being available.

Prayer. Aloud.
Now.

Ardith Keef Wed, 11/20/2024 - 11:23

Power:

Ardith Keef — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:18:21 +0000

Power:

The Soldier of The Cross who walks in the Power of the Holy Spirit never feels powerful.

He has authority and he has confidence, but as soon as he feels powerful, he is subject to deception.

God’s Word cleanses, separates, and heals. It fuels the prayer life and it sheds light. Speaking the Word aloud clears the air and protects the Believer against the enemy's fiery darts.

We must always be learning to be more dependent. Independence and wanting to feel powerful go hand in hand.

We are passing through the wilderness, and we are moving in authority, confidence and peace -because we are learning to take up The Cross and follow Him.

It's by prayer.
Always.

Ardith Keef Fri, 10/18/2024 - 20:18

Do it Ahead:

Ardith Keef — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 02:51:13 +0000

Do it Ahead:

So many things can be predetermined.

When the Spirit-filled Soldier of The Cross steps into this level of obedience, the Indwelling Holy Spirit meets the crisis by sweetly reminding the injured one about the decision made by faith and brought to the Lord in prayer.

For example, you can decide now that your possessions belong to the Lord and not to you. Inasmuch as we all know we can't take them with us, it is critical that we understand everything comes from Him and He can have His way with anything.

Under no circumstances is God waiting for this kind of yieldedness in order to have a chance to clobber someone, but He is looking for someone who trusts Him more than they trust the false security provided by owning nice things. Release from the need to own.

There is always something inconvenient.

You can make the decision now that if your house burns down, you will acknowledge that you will not have "lost everything" and that it is not a life-stopper.

I had taught this in a bible study years ago, and did a mini-series on it. Only a few weeks later, one of the families came to stay at my house with their three children. They had never done this before, but someone was arriving at the airport at 5 in the morning and it was more convenient to stay somewhere near the airport.. The woman was a musician and had just gotten a new piano. She was also a harpist and had a fine harp.

At 5 in the morning, the Dad went to the airport and on the way the sheriff called from the family's home location about an hour away. Their just-built house had burned down, and absolutely everything was lost. It had been assumed all were dead because a car had exploded in the garage.

Because Mom had come to the Lord with this ahead of time, she was calm. That means the children were calm. It was inconvenient and took years to replace things, but the decision made ahead of time meant protection from the thoughts and emotions the enemy loves to project when things go "wrong."

What if you told the Lord you want to pray for the person who cuts you off in traffic instead of saying unpleasant things about them out loud as you drive? How life- changing is that?

Do you always want to have the last word?

We need to pray about the matters that snag us or or might snag us as we pass through the wilderness.

Soldier, this is important. We need to see God. To pursue Him. It means learning to yield and learning how to pray about areas He wants to heal.

Take these things to Him in prayer as they come to mind. Do it aloud because if it is not aloud, thoughts tend to wander and fade off like fog.

Then, look up and move on!

Ardith Keef Thu, 10/10/2024 - 22:51

The Real Battleground:

Ardith Keef — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:12 +0000

The Real Battleground:

The battleground is the mind.

And you have a protection because you have the Indwelling Holy Spirit who is the Interpreter and Elucidator of God’s Word.

Soldier, you simply can’t think as do those who have no Lord. You must learn to choose your thoughts.

Most Christians are not aware that there is a choice. And, the about-face takes discipline. Whatever the crises is, it is ensconcing itself in your thoughts. It wants a little home and it wants to be groomed and fed. Then discussed.

What does God’s Word say? Where are the thoughts coming from?

How is it that you who are a Child of The King are wrestling with the problem over and over, thoughts going around and around in circles, trying to fanaticize about resolutions or consequences that will have to be dealt with?

Does the enemy awaken you in the black of night with the pressing thoughts?

What does God say?

This is a process. First, you must take in the Word and it needs to be fresh. I advocate memorizing a verse each day, just to remember for that day. It can be only a part of a verse, but you must say it aloud over and over. Then when you are attacked, the Holy Spirit will bring up the verse to counteract the attack of the enemy.

Is anything true?
Is He real?
Does He actually love us?
Is there an Indwelling Holy Spirit?
Is there Divine intervention?

Yes, yes and yes.

Soldier, you do not have to live in constant anguish and you can know His release before the situation is resolved. This is about the promises and the instruction of God.

Pray about the battle that takes place in the mind. Pray aloud. Then Read Hebrews 4 again and read it aloud.

Memorize a verse or even only a line. Say it over and over aloud.

I can’t tell you how important it is to declare the Word of God aloud each day. Even just a phrase. A fresh phrase.

My biggest concern about those who serve in “fulltime Christian service” is the neglect of the devotional life and the assault of the mind of which so few are aware.

We have an enemy. He hates you.

Get on the offensive. Aloud.

Ardith Keef Sun, 10/06/2024 - 20:00

Deeper Trust:

Ardith Keef — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 13:10:46 +0000

Deeper Trust:

We certainly hear a lot about trusting God. In fact, it has almost become a cliché.

The fact is, the area of trust is a frontier that must be sought and explored until Glory.

The only experience richer than watching Him do the impossible is, seeing what seems to be the collapse of the thing prayed for and having complete confidence that His way is better than the desperately sought solution.

We know about this and we believe it, but we must experience it to be able to walk in it.

Soldier, we do not live here. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28.) We are being prepared. We are being transformed.

Every act of obedience makes the next less of a struggle.

What else is there? The real issue is, can He be trusted?

We must it to Him regularly.
Aloud.

Ardith Keef Sat, 10/05/2024 - 09:10