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Luke 23:42 “Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ ”
His disciples looked up to Jesus, for He was more than amazing. He healed the blind, the sick, and the lame; and He exorcised demons, raised the dead, and forgave sin. So great were Jesus’ teachings and miracles that while walking with Jesus for three years, these men attested that He indeed was the Son of God.
Head knowledge told Jesus’ disciples that He was indeed the Messiah—the Son of God. He daily demonstrated this, and as He was in the Davidic line, they, as generations of Jews before them, expected Him to physically conquer the Romans and set up Israel as the ruling nation. Why? Perhaps it was because they were strong in believing the first two parts of God’s promise to Abraham—that Abraham and his descendants would become a great nation and that they would be given land. But it appears that the third part of the promise was not fully understood—that through Abraham and his descendants, all nations would be blessed. How so? It goes back to Adam and Eve and the promise that Satan and sin would be crushed. God’s kingdom would be one of purity and of love for all. It does appear that the disciples truly didn’t understand Jesus’ role or His kingdom, though time and again, Jesus spoke about who He was, His kingdom, and His purpose—not to be an earthly king at that time, but to save mankind from sin: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 This was Jesus, foretold by the angel of the Lord to Joseph, “ And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” God’s purpose was very clear: Jesus would save mankind from sin. Therefore, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’ Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.’ ” Luke 19:8-10 Don’t you sometimes wonder if the disciples were really listening? Don’t you wonder about them putting two and two together to understand the prophecies of Scripture? If they fully understood Jesus, why did they abandon Him in the garden? Deny Him? Leave Him at the cross? Lock themselves behind locked doors after His crucifixion? False expectations—this is what it appears the disciples suffered from. Where was their conquering hero when He was mocked, tortured, and crucified on the cross? How could He allow these things to happen to Himself if He were truly to be their Messiah Ruler? These men who walked with Jesus, ate with Him, and traveled with Him, now doubted who He was. When we examine Scripture, however, there was one man--a most unlikely man--who did understand who Jesus was. He was a criminal—some believe a murderer—and he was being crucified at the side of Jesus. While a criminal on the other side mocked Jesus, this man protested, “ ’Don’t you fear God when you’ve been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’ ” Luke 23 40-43 Now I must ask myself, as you might ask yourself, “What about me? Do I have false expectations of You, LORD? Do I, knowing you are God, expect You to answer my every prayer with “Yes, so it shall be done,” or do I expect You to act like a genie, giving me my three wishes? Do I expect You to crush everything bad in the world because, like some say, if You were good, You wouldn’t allow it? Is there anything I expect of you that I should not? OR am I in Your Word enough to understand who You really are, the all-compassionate, merciful Master planner who walks with me every step throughout my life? Do I understand that there will be multiple times of joy as I walk in my Christian faith, but also know I am guaranteed in Your Word to face difficult trials, and maybe, someday, even persecution by those who hate You? All these questions are answered by faith—even a simple faith such as that of the criminal who repented and was saved just before his death. Faith helps us understand that God is good and trustworthy—that we live in a fallen and decaying world because of sin, but that sin has been conquered through Jesus’ work on the cross. Faith gives us the knowledge that one day there will a new heaven and a new earth where all will be well and where there will be great rejoicing and praise for our Almighty God. Our enemy, Satan, would have us rely and fall back onto false expectations, for he wants us to think God fails us. Let us never succumb to his wily tricks by immersing ourselves in God’s Word. God never fails! He is our rock and salvation. May He be praised forever and ever. VERSES: John 1:12 “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 3:3 “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ ” John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” Colossians 2:8 “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” PRAYER: Dear Father, as I read Your Word, help me by the light of Your Spirit completely understand what You are teaching so that I never suffer from false expectations concerning You or about what is happening in this current world. You are the answer to every question and to every search for meaning. You, Almighty God, are majestic and awesome. Thank You for Your perfect plan for mankind and thank You for Your perfect plan for me. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”
Have you ever wondered what it is that God desires of you and whether or not you have the strength to do what He asks? What is it that will truly please Him? Is He really working in you? If so, are you submitting to His direction or fighting it? Is His will something that would involve self-sacrifice, an inconvenience at a time you are actively engaged in something else, perhaps doing something that makes you uncomfortable, or even taking action to reverse a lifestyle? These are questions we should ask ourselves. I think most of us at some time have asked, “What is it, Father, that You desire of me?” A key here is not just asking the question, but listening for God’s answer. Sometimes we may hear a still, small voice speaking into our hearts, clearly directing our paths, or perhaps His answer shouts at us as loudly as thunderclaps! Most times, however, I believe God’s answer is revealed through Scripture—God’s Word that is active and alive. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 To hear God’s answer to any question, it is important to ask Him before digging into Scripture to give us teachable hearts. Reading Scripture purely for information is not God’s desire; changing us through His Word and learning what He desires is, and for this to happen we need to be open to what He is teaching in His Word. Then, when Scripture “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires,” we need to evaluate whether or not they do or don't line up with God’s. If they don’t, we are taught what God really wants: “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Psalm 51:17 Now we are ready to learn what God says about pleasing Him. The Pharisees once asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ ” Mark 12:30-31 So what pleases God? In short, loving Him and loving people. We must act in true love in order to honor God and serve others. When we trust in Christ, God places this desire in our hearts, and He will give us the power to act accordingly--to make ourselves uncomfortable and possibly be inconvenienced. In other words, we are to die to self to meet the needs of others in love. God’s Word says that when we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. He teaches, guides, directs, and gives us the power to fulfill the desires of God’s heart. This may be a gradual process, but we must always trust God to fulfill His promises! Doing so and living according to the two most important commandments stated by Jesus--loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength; and acting as Jesus' hands and feet as He would have us do as His representatives on earth--does bring our Father great pleasure. I can imagine Him looking at us and saying, "Well done, faithful servants." What can bless us more or bring us greater joy than allowing God to work within us as we rely on His power to accomplish all that will please Him? VERSES: Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.” 1 Peter 4:1-2 “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” 1 John 2:17 “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” Ephesians 6:6 “Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.” (Paul was writing to slaves, but when we believe in Jesus, we too become His slaves." PRAYER: Father, I am brokenhearted and repentant over my sins, past, present, and future, and I thank You for your promise of not rejecting me, but rather embracing me in Your loving arms. I now ask You to give me the power through Your Holy Spirit to always place Your will above my own and to love others as You would. Daily help me to be Your hands and feet, whether it be inconvenient, uncomfortable, or a need to change direction. I trust You to never give up on me, but to daily grow me in Christ. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” It is one thing to watch your father pass away at the age of 91, then your mother at the age of 87. The grief is present, yet we know these loved ones had been granted a long life. It is quite another to watch your son’s kind, sweet, and beloved wife being drawn into Jesus’ arms at the age of 43. We think, “Too soon,” and our hearts break. Yet, who knows best? Do we, or does God? “ ‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9 Our God, who knows all, knows best: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 Everything working for good? YES, for those who are believers in Christ! Now good does not equate to happy or pain free, because God must take the evil Satan attacks us with and turn it 180 degrees to the good. The attacks cause pain, but the good, joyful hope. The end result will be best for us and the people who are touched by our lives…a hard but true fact...and one that many times takes time to realize. God does have a purpose for each of our lives and gives us gifts and talents to accomplish that purpose. What we don’t know, however, is how much time we have to accomplish what He desires. However, if we step into each day loving God above all other things and loving others as ourselves, we do accomplish the best of all purposes—that of honoring and glorifying His name. “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16 And so it is. We know that each day we live, we can look forward to being one day nearer to our joyous homegoing: “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 We now live in perishable bodies, but while we do, we are challenged to fulfill our destiny by living for Christ. We need to ask ourselves, are we doing so? Are we accomplishing God’s purpose by living righteously as He would have us? Are we being imitators of Jesus? Are we, out of love for Him and not because of rules, being obedient to His commandments? If so, nothing can stop God from using the difficult and seemingly impossibly hard times in our lives for good. Truly, God is a good, good Father, and He who cares for every bird and flower cares for us much, much more. He loves us so much He gave up His only Son’s life to save us from eternal damnation. Believers have nothing but joy before them: “And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. Romans 6:8 So when we are tempted to believe one’s life has been cut short, we must remember our God knows all things and fully place our trust in His perfect plan. “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:4-5 The light of the world is waiting for us with open arms! What a hope, to be swallowed up by LIFE! Life filled with light… peace…joy…comfort…and eternal love. Sweet Missy—your life purpose has been accomplished. Though you lived in great pain for months on end, you loved well and were greatly loved. You accepted Jesus as your Savior and were growing in Him. Hallelujah! My heart grieves over losing you now, but I choose to trust God and know that one day, when I go home to Jesus, I will see you again. You will run to me saying, “Hi, Mama!” and I will run to you saying, “Hello, Sweetheart!” as I have so many times on the phone. Then I will take you into my arms and give you a huge hug, delighting in the fact that finally we both are at home. VERSES: 1 John 5:11 “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. “ 2 Corinthians 4:14-15 ”We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” John 10:28-30 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for my Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You that You are the perfect planner! I know not how many days You are giving me while on this earth, but I pray that I will continually grow in You, trust in You, and share the Good News of Your SonJesus with others. I believe in Your words that You are giving me a hope and a future, so thank You for renewing my spirit daily so that I can make it through the most difficult of times. Thank You for hope, the patient confidence that Your promises are true and that I will see in heaven my loved ones who believe in You. You are the best Father ever. Thank You for being mine. SONG: “If You Could See Me Now” by Paul S. Morton My prayers have all been answered, I've finally arrived, The healing that has been delayed, Has now been realized. No one's in a hurry, No more schedules to keep, I'm enjoying Jesus, just sitting at His feet. If you could see me now, I'm walking streets of gold. If you could see me now, I'm standing tall and whole. If you could see me now, You'd know I've seen Him face to face; If you could only see me now. Though I've had my sorrows, They never can compare What Jesus has in store for me, No language can ever share. You would not want me To leave this perfect place, If you could only see me now. Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Carl Sigman / Tadd Dameron If You Could See Me Now lyrics © Integrity's Praise! Music, Redwood Music Ltd, Hold On To Music DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Psalm 119:114 “You are my refuge and my shield; Your Word is my source of hope.”
Today, I struggle with what to write. It is a cloudy, overcast day, matching my spirit. Yet I know that as I feel drained by the events of the last several weeks, with our son’s sweet wife struggling for life, there is One who is never drained, One who can give me hope and fill me with life-giving light when the enemy would have me see only darkness and would have me despair. I don’t try to hide my pain from God. After all, He knows my every thought! So, like the descendants of Korah, I pray, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember You—even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as Your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life.” Psalm 42:5-9 Life’s trials many times bring emotional responses. They can make us feel we are standing in the ocean where the seemingly solid sand under our feet dissolves and the ocean's great waves surge over us, drawing us out to sea. But we must never allow emotion to overrule the truth of who God is. Daily the LORD pours His compassionate love out upon us; He who knows when the sparrow falls understands fully and completely our times of sorrow; imagine the Father’s when He had to turn His face away from Jesus who was suffering an excruciating death upon the cross because He had taken the sin of mankind upon Himself. No, God is no stranger to emotion; we know this because we are made in His image. However, God would not have us focus on our emotions in the midst of life’s trials; our focus is to remain centered upon Him and His promise of HOPE. Feeling overwhelmed, I once again turn to God’s Word, my source of light, life, and hope. It is God, and only He, who can lift my spirit and place the happenings of life in perspective: “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” Psalm 31:24 I know that as I meditate on God’s lovingkindness, I will be led from a darkness that could be overpowering into His life-giving light and that my strength will be renewed. Focusing on how much He loves me, enough to die in my place for my sins, brings me the joy of knowing that I will share eternity with Him and with the loved ones He’s placed in my life, including those who precede me in death. If you are struggling with a trial in life now, and even if not, join me in meditating on some of the following verses, focusing on our hope, and let your heart's sorrows be lifted as you experience the fulfillment of God's promises. Romans 15:4 “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (This is faith; this is trust.) Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.” (Believing in Christ gives us eternal life: “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”) Hebrews 6:18-20 “ So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” (Thank You, Father, for Jesus! “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17:7) Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (How wonderful it is to know that our Lord God is with us during every step we take through life: “The Lord replied, ‘I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.’ ” Exodus 33:14) Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (The wise understand how brief our earthly life is and that we are to make every moment of it count in glorifying the Father. However, while this life is as short as a quick whisper, eternity lasts forever, and therein lies our hope: “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23) All of us face trials in life, some deeply heart-wrenching, but we must look beyond them to the hope we have in our majestic, compassionate, kind, and loving God—the One who is always concerned about our welfare and that of those we love. In my mind, I now look through the massive and billowing charcoal-gray storm clouds our enemy would drown us in to that of our loving God’s presence above. Here I find peaceful, comforting, and azure skies illuminated by the brilliance of life-sustaining rays emanating both from earth’s sun, but more importantly, from His Son—our eternal life source. GOD IS GOOD! His plan is perfect. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.” I Chronicles 16:34 I choose to trust and hope in our good, good Father—the One who loves us most and plans for our ultimate victory in life “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!” Job 19:25-26 MORE VERSES: Psalm 71:5 “For You, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” Psalm 130:5 “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His Word.” Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Romans 5:1 “Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” PRAYER: Dear Father, as I dwell on Your goodness, kindness, and the hope I have in You, let me always remember Jesus’ words: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.” John 14:1 I do choose to trust, Father, therefore help me not be dismayed when Your plan differs from that of my limited understanding and will! Rather, help me be an imitator of Jesus: “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” Luke 22:42 Your will, Father—it always is right and best. So, Father, when I tend to be overwhelmed by life’s difficult times, let me always remember that You know ALL--everything that has taken place in the past and all that will take place in the future. I choose to believe in Your proven goodness, and as Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “Never (to) be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” 1 1. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/corrie_ten_boom_381184 SONG: "Joy of the Lord" Though tears may fall My son will rise, my song will rise to You Though my heart may fail My song will rise, my song will rise to You While there's breath in my lungs I will praise You, Lord In the dead of night I'll lift my eyes, I'll lift my eyes to You When the waters rise I'll lift my eyes, I'll lift my eyes to You While there's hope in my heart I will praise You, Lord The joy of the Lord is my strength The joy of the Lord is my strength In the darkness I'll dance In the shadows I'll sing The joy of the Lord is my strength When I cannot see You with my eyes Let faith arise to You When I cannot feel Your hand in mine Let faith arise to You God of mercy and love I will praise You, Lord Oh You shine with glory Lord of light I feel alive with You In Your presence now I come alive I am alive with You There is strength when I say I will praise You, Lord When sorrow comes my way You are the shield around me Always You remain Like courage in the fight I hear You call my name Jesus, I am coming Walking on the waves Reaching for Your light Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Christopher Dean Llewellyn / Edmond Martin Cash / Gareth Andrew Gilkeson Joy Of The Lord lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol CMG Publishing DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Psalm 107:29-30 “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into harbor.”
Many are the trials and struggles we face today, whether related to personal physical or mental health; problems in relationships, perhaps with friends, family, neighbors, business associates, etc.; or possibly we suffer from discouragement and disillusionment with today’s politics and/or the unbiblical, unhealthy stances many leaders in America are taking and targeting on our children. Whatever the case, how do we avoid falling into the pitfall of depression? How do we not become sinking ships during such storms of living life? “The answer, my friend” is NOT blowing in the wind; the answer is found in developing complete trust and faith in the author of life, the Great “I AM,” then calling upon Him in our need! FAITH—Fully Anticipating It To Happen; Forever Always I Trust Him—there are many acronyms for faith, but the Bible tells us directly what faith is: “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 And what is hope? A definition I love from Group publications is patient confidence that what God has promised will come to pass. We can’t see it, but what we hope for—eternity with God—is real! So no matter what we face, if we continue daily to study Scripture and pray, our faith and confidence will grow in the One who has planned our destiny and long-term welfare. Our FAITH confirms that God is good! “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful loves endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!’ ’’ Lamentations 3:22-24 Where does our focus need to be? It needs to be upward toward Him, not downward upon ourselves. We are never the answer to life’s difficult situations; the Lord always is! Once we have developed a firm faith and trust in the Lord, we need to feel free to call upon Him. In fact, I’m certain our Father looks forward to this, for good parents always desire their children seek them when in need—and our Father is a good, good Father! Let’s look at a few ways God answered the call of those who sought Him in time of need by contemplating the words in the following psalm: Psalm 107 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. 3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. 5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. 6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. 7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. 8 Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 9 For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. 10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. 11 They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. 12 That is why He broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them. 13 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains. 15 Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them. 16 For He broke down their prison gates of bronze; He cut apart their bars of iron. 17 Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. 18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door. 19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 20 He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. 21 Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them. 22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about His glorious acts. 23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. 24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, His impressive works on the deepest seas. 25 He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. 26 Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. 27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end. 28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. 30 What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into harbor! 31 Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them. 32 Let them exalt Him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. 33 He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land. 34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there. 35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water. 36 He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities. 37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops. 38 How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase. 39 When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, 40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands. 41 But He rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep. 42 The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent. 43 Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. Indeed, just as God was faithful to answer the cries of the Israelites for help, if we look to our personal history, we surely will see His faithfulness in answering our call in times of need. We call out; He answers! Maintaining faith, hope, trust, and understanding that God answers our every prayer in the way that is best, serves to make us more Christlike. Let us always remember to call to our Father when distressed or in need. He still today calms our storms to a whisper and stills the waves; we find the blessing of that stillness as He brings us safely into thes eternal harbor of His perfect love and peace. VERSES: Romans 10:10-13 “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.’ Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ” Psalm 62:7-8 “My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 91:1-2 “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.” PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for working in my life, stretching me and growing me. Sometimes it feels good; many times it’s uncomfortable—even painful. Yet I know You know best, and no matter the circumstance, I can lean on You and trust You to lead me to a safe harbor in Your perfect timing. You hear my every call and plea, and it is important always to remember Your faithfulness! “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 Thank you for being my God and for loving me so very much. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Isaiah 59:2 “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore.”
Recently I have spent weeks weeding our many flower beds and paths that once were nothing but simple pea gravel. However, over the past three years, all was overtaken, and what once was beautiful landscaping now was unruly and ugly. Why did these years pass with no attention to our grounds? I simply didn’t have the energy to deal with them until this summer. Lack of energy—the willingness to examine ourselves—these should never be the case as we look to see if any weeds may be taking root in our lives! I call the weeds I was digging out of the ground “devil weeds.” I’m no expert on belligerence, but these weeds had roots that ran deep and on and on underground, entangling themselves around each other and any other thing they could, such as plant and tree roots. These weeds so reminded me of sin—sin that cuts us off from God when not confessed. I began to think of sin’s entanglements, which led me to the sin of lying. One of my former pastors once said, “Raise your hand if you’ve never told a lie.” He then continued, “Well, if you raised your hand, recognize that today you lied!” We all laughed, for everyone at some time in their life tells a lie. Why is that? Is it a self-defense mechanism arising when we are fearful and desire to protect ourselves? Do we lie to make ourselves appear more important than we believe we are? Perhaps a lie is told to gain the approval of others or have them pleased with what we say. No matter the reason, God tells us in Proverbs that lying lips are an abomination—they are hated by God! “ The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in those who tell the truth.” Proverbs 12:22 Now we all know that if we confess a lie to God, He will forgive: “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 We are then cleansed by the blood of Christ, made pure, and we are ready to begin anew asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and correction when needed. So the problem for us is not in telling a single lie, then confessed, but with living life based upon lying. God’s Word tells us, “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.” Proverbs 19:9 WOW! A life based upon lying is so serious that God lists it as one of the sins that closes heaven’s gates, preventing entrance. “There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things He detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.” Proverbs 6:16-19 Sir Walter Scott, in his poem, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field1, wrote, ”Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” You may have found this certain in your own life when a lie soon compounds itself with another trying to explain the first, and another trying to explain the second, then another and another and another! The web is being spun, and soon it is so tangled there appears to be no way out! Why does our Father hate lying so much? It means we are following not God, but his archenemy, Satan, the father of all lies and deception; the very one who deceived Adam and Eve, leading them to rebel against their Creator! “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 This is what God hates—character built upon lies and deception. Our character is to be based upon our becoming new creations when we choose Christ as Savior—upon the truth! Jesus continues, “Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 8:47 We are to be truthtellers! Yet, we can deceive ourselves in many, many ways. Let us learn to recognize Satan’s lying deceptions and counter them with the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God! We may not directly tell a lie, but we can easily deceive ourselves in other areas of life that actually amount to lying.
I move on to the rest of the Ten Commandments. Do I say I know God yet use His name in vain? Honor God by resting in Him one day of the week? Honor my father and mother by living a righteous life even if they’ve been abusive? Commit murder by living with bottled up hatred? Commit adultery if only in my mind? Steal, even if it's the acclaim of others? Bear false witness against people through gossip? Covet what others have or be contented with all God has given me? If I say I know God, but do these things, then I am lying to myself and others. Then there's forgiveness. God commands us to forgive one another, not only once, but seven times seven…meaning always. Have I lied to myself by thinking I have truly forgiven everyone who has harmed me in life, or do I retain bitterness? Recognizing that bitterness can take deep root, building upon itself and destroying, I need to ask God to help me forgive as He intends. I must turn those who have harmed me over to Him and ask Him to replace that now void place in me with the peace and love I know He wants me to have. I am to forgive as He forgives. Finally, I ask myself if I place God first, loving Him with all my heart, soul, and mind—the commandment Jesus said was the most important when asked by the Pharisees. And do I love others as much as I love myself, the second commandment Jesus said was like the first? These are commands I want to obey, but is there any way I am fooling myself--lying to myself--about following them? All these things are so important that I must ask myself each day, “Is there some way I have lied today? Have I deceived myself, living more for self than for my Father and others?” If my answer is yes, I must repent, confess my sin to God, and ask for His forgiveness. I must ask the Holy Spirit to fill me and renew me, giving me the wisdom and strength to live my life in truth. As I continue weeding, examining the tangled webs I pull from the earth, I ask God to help me truly understand what sin is—how its tendrils may grow and intertwine beneath the earth, spreading continually where no one sees until one day it springs up everywhere, destroying the good ground above. I thank God for this visual and for His reminder that I need to continually clean my house in order to honor His name. So I weed for His sake, for my sake, and for the sake of others. 1. Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field. https://quizzclub.com/trivia/who-first-wrote-oh-what-a-tangled-web-we-weave-when-first-we-practice-to-deceive/answer/207704/ VERSES: Genesis 3:4 “ ‘You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.’ ” John 8:44b “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Colossians 3:9 “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.” 1 Peter 2:1 “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for your reminder about sin—how it starts out so very little, almost indiscernibly, until like a weed when not dug out in the early stages, sets its roots deep, growing stronger and larger and spreading its evil throughout our bodies, spirits, and souls. Help me to remember to examine myself at the end of each day to discern whether any sin has entered and begun to set root—sin that needs confession so it can be exterminated and replaced by your Spirit and truth. Don’t let me be cut off from You! And help me always to remember that when something is removed , a vacuum is created that must be filled with Your Holy Spirit so that nothing evil will fill that emptiness instead. Father, You are a good, good Father, daily placing Your truths boldly before me. Please give me a teachable heart that continually seeks You, placing You first in my life! DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!’ ” John 7:37
“Come in! We’ve been waiting for you, and we’re so glad you are here! Now relax and refresh yourselves!” Your heart is warmed by the gracious greeting of some of your best friends whom you’ve not seen in years. How special it is to be loved by them! “Come here! NOW!” a mother yells at her child who has run into the middle of the road. The child is unaware of the dangers, but not the mom. Knowing what could happen, she is fearful for her child’s life. A mother and father run to their child’s bedside as he screams in the middle of the night. “It’s okay. We are right here! We will always be here and will never abandon you. Just call, and we will come!” “I give you my promise,” the father says to his disobedient child. “No matter what you do, I will always love you and be here for you; but know that I must discipline you now for your future welfare, so you will know good from evil and the truth from lies. So come to me…” When I think of the word come in relation to our Lord, many ideas of His care and love invade my mind, as I'm sure they do yours. For me, examples are an open, loving invitation to dwell in His presence; a command given demanding obedience to Him for life-giving safety; a promise that He will never abandon us; and His coming to fulfill the most important promise of His Father—the provision of a Savior who will close the enormous gap separating us from a forever-life with Him. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come. Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” Revelation 22:17 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “ Matthew 7:7-8 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ” Matthew 11:28-30 Come in, finding welcome and rest! How can there be a better invitation than shown in these verses? Our souls and spirits cry out with thirst for God to fill us with life, and Jesus invites us to come. When we knock on His door, He will joyously open it to us, inviting us in, for He knows we are most often weary with the challenges we’ve faced on this side of heaven. In Christ, we find burdens relieved and refreshment for our souls and spirits. What a joy to know Jesus is calling us to come! “Stop! Get out of the street,” a mother yells. In the same way, Jesus warns us, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.” Matthew 24:24 Jesus is shouting for us to pay attention to the times and to what is happening in our world and culture. Let us listen and get out of the street into the safety of His arms! Satan is waging war by trying to conquer those who would come to Christ, but when we listen well to Jesus’ words with open hearts and listening ears, we are saved by Him who is stronger than any spiritual menace: “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” I John 4:4 Abandonment—one of the greatest fears of children and adults alike. In Christ, however, we never need fear. When He invites us to come to Him, He does so with a promise of never abandoning us: “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” John 14:3 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.” John 14:17-18 Feel that presence within? The presence of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control? What a great promise given and fulfilled when we believe Jesus as Savior, having God within to lead, guide, and give us wisdom in how to lead our lives! With all His heart, God wants us to come to Him! Because of this, He made mankind a promise: “Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed, more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.’ Then he said to the woman, ‘I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.’ And to the man he said, ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.’ ” Exodus 3: 14-18 Yes, Adam and Eve rebelled, and God had to discipline them severely for choosing Satan's lies over His own truth because their act of treason--their sin--caused eternal separation from Him. Yet, God loved mankind too much to let that separation remain, so He made a promise to Eve--that one day from her offspring a Savior, the Messiah, would come. God fulfills every promise, and in the proper timing His Son Jesus was born. Though totally innocent, Christ took all mankind's sin--past, present, and future--upon Himself when He voluntarily died in our place upon the cross. With His death, burial, and resurrection, eternal death was conquered and the separation between God and man ended for believers: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 God, faithful promise keeper, gave us Jesus, and that is why for those who believe in Him, hope lives! COME! How is God calling you to come? Let each of us pray, asking Him to show us areas in our lives where we need to come to Him. Within us, we all have a God-shaped vacuum that only He can fill. Know that He longs to do this, giving us living water so we will never thirst again. Oh, hear His voice and COME! VERSES: John 10:9 “ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.” James 7:8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Luke 9:11 “But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.” Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your invitation to come to You in my every need. I know I can place confident hope in You because You are a faithful promise keeper. When, upon occasion, I forget to focus on You and seek to come to You, thank You that You will not abandon me but pursue me until my last living breath. Indeed, You are faithful to call, and You are faithful to open your door and heart to me when I knock. May I always be thankful for who You are, Majestic God, and for Your love for me. May I praise You all my days. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.”
Have you ever compared yourself with another? Have you ever not? I admit, I have over a long life at times compared myself with others, and what do I always find? Shortcomings! This is because comparison always considers the best in others with the worst in ourselves, never a good thing. One of Teddy Roosevelt’s well-known sayings is that comparison is the thief of joy, and so it is! If we were to compare ourselves with the heroes of the Bible, we always will come up short. Consider the deeds of Abraham, Moses, Joseph (son of Jacob), Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Queen Esther, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary, the mother of Christ. I certainly am like none of these and certainly nothing like Paul, an all-out kind of guy who, as a Pharisee, went after Christians with a vengeance, and then, after meeting Christ, had the same zeal to convert all he met to Christianity, suffering greatly in doing so: “Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.” Physically and mentally, Paul suffered for sharing the Good News. I simply can’t imagine going through all he did! Then I’ve been reading God’s Generals, a series by Liardon Roberts on those who’ve paved the path for the Good News to be shared with the world, such like Knox, Luther, Wycliffe, Hus, Edwards, Whitefield, Finney, the Booths, and Billy Graham. If I look at myself in comparison to these, I can easily ask myself, “Who am I and what use am I, anyway?” That’s just the point! Psalm 139:13-16 states, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” God has made each of us to be exactly as He designed for His purposes, not our own. Each of us has strengths, and each of us has weaknesses. Those weaknesses should never be looked down upon, for through them, we see God at work! "So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Isn’t it great to ponder the truth that we can’t rely on ourselves for anything good we do, but only on the power of God? “You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 Indeed, we are fragile clay jars, thrown by the Master on His potter’s wheel, and when we accept Jesus as Savior, we have Him shining in our hearts and empowering us to do the work He has set apart for each of us, even though we may feel too weak to do so. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 When we acknowledge our weaknesses, yet see the Lord working through us, we indeed know it is only God’s power that is accomplishing the work. Let us always remember that it is not our strength, but God’s that gives us the power and boldness to fulfill His plans; let us always remember never to boast in self, but always in our one and only God. VERSES: Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” 2 Corinthians 11:6 “I (Paul) may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge.” Psalm 121:1-2 “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Isaiah 12:2 “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.” Deuteronomy 31:6 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” PRAYER: Dear Father, I am more than aware of my many weaknesses, the fear of speaking up being one of them. I also acknowledge that You understand that weakness, yet when needed, Your power through the Holy Spirit will overcome my weakness so Your truth will be spoken when need be. A perfect instance was when, at a high school reunion, a classmate was extolling the benefits of the Baha’i religion. Out from my mouth popped, “I’ve been studying the Bible for some time now, and in it Jesus states, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” John 14:6 I would never have done this on my own! Truly, Father God, I am weak while You are strong. Thank You that I can boast in Your strength, and in Your strength only. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! 1 Corinthians 12:12 “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
I never thought my little toe was so important until I broke it in 2006. It radiated pain at first, and then continuing pain caused me to limp for several weeks as I walked to and fro in school halls. One such small part of my body made my entire body suffer! Then there was the time I tore a rotator cuff in my left shoulder. Pretty soon, I was overcompensating with my right arm and shoulder, and, oops, there went another rotator cuff! I’ve seen this happen, too, with knee and hip issues. Throw one out of joint, and other bodily aches, pains. and misalignment occur. Indeed, all parts of our bodies need to be working well and in unison with one another for full function to occur, just as God designed. This is so true of the body of Christ! All parts are important—the parts we see and the parts not so easily seen. “Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, ‘I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,’ that does not make is any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, ‘I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,’ would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or is your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-17 This past week I witnessed the body of Christ functioning as a Christ would have it—like a well-trained athlete whose body was perfected to go forth and win its race. I saw volunteers creating life-like caves and an amazing wooden boat; I saw salvation-rock painters, snack and game creators, crew leaders getting ready to lead while others prepared missionary lessons, Kid-Vids, and Bible lessons. Yes, you guessed it! This was all in preparation for Vacation Bible School, and what a blessing it was to watch a church’s members draw together to serve our younger generation; they were one body with one goal--share salvation through Jesus Christ with the younger generation. Vacation Bible School is SO IMPORTANT! There we witness God’s Word go forth in its many forms as men, women, and youth all share the gifts God has given them to spread the Good News. Twenty-four out of ninety-eight children accepted the Lord this past week at my church’s VBS. THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS MIGHTILY AT WORK! Maybe He touched children’s hearts during gathering time or traveling to or from activities; maybe it was during snack time, or the snacks themselves, so beautifully illustrating daily themes; perhaps it was during game time as the leader shared God’s Word. Perhaps it was during times when crew leaders prayed with the children or during sessions at Kid-Vid, Missions, or Bible time. Who knows when the Holy Spirit drew these children to Jesus, but He did in the right time and in the right place for each child. What we do know is that the love of God was shared in many forms, with each volunteer demonstrating through his/her gifts “I love you!” Words, actions, smiles, all demonstrating Jesus’ love, contributed to touch the hearts of children and begin the changing of lives. Was one part of Vacation Bible School more important than another? Was one person? Absolutely NOT! It was the oneness that allowed God’s Holy Spirit to work in His fullness. Let us never forget to give thanks for the talents and spiritual gifts He has given each believer, knowing that each gift is important. “In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” 1 Corinthians 12:22-26 During future days and months, as you pray and think about the talents and spiritual gifts God has given you, please consider how He can best use you in His kingdom. Are you a cook? A speaker? A teacher? An evangelist? Are you artistic? A prayer warrior? A musician? An athlete? Do you work well with children? Youth? Adults? Whatever your gifts, ask God how He can best use you to bring others into His kingdom and honor Him. And please, as Vacation Bible Schools all over our country and other countries have brought Jesus to children this year, keep them in prayer! Let us pray that God’s Word will take deep root in their hearts, especially if there is a child who will not be able to attend church during their growing years, so that he/she may seek Him out and grow in Him as an adult. Yes—my toe healed, and once again I could walk with balance—okay—never with complete balance (just ask my husband!)—but with whatever balance God has given me! Where I did witness perfect balance and a body functioning as it should, however, was last week in the body of Christ—each person not considering himself or herself more important than another, but each doing the work with the talents and gifts God had given. There I saw the beauty of oneness! VERSES: 1 Corinthians 12:18 “But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’” Romans 2:10-11 “But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” Psalm 133 “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced His blessing, even life everlasting.” PRAYER: Dear Father God, what peace you bestow on each of us when we behold Your Spirit leading the body of Christ in unity and harmony to share with others the Good News of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ! Truly, it is beautiful to behold! May our oneness be a testimony to who You are, our majestic King and God, who desires loving unity in all things. May our actions lift Your name high and and glorify Your name forever. DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! 1 John 2:6 “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."
Ever since becoming a Christian at the age of thirty-two, my life has been blessed by the teachings of several superb pastors who’ve taught God’s Word in truth as well as by the witness of many caring Christians whose lives were sermons in action. I term these people Living Lights! I’ve not only heard Jesus’ preached by them, but I’ve watched Him in action through their hands, feet, and words. They know that Jesus is the light of the world! “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’ ” John 8:12 After first being baptized, Christ’s light was shared with us by our pastor, who regularly came over to disciple us, and by church families who loved and cared for us in more ways that I can mention! From them, we began learning the importance not only of daily Bible study, but of having strong Christian friends--lights—who were rooted in their faith and who we could imitate. Through these people who walked in obedience to the Word of God and responded to life situations in trust, we came to know that we also must become obedient to God’s Word, especially when it put us beyond our comfort zone—when we needed to deny ourselves and place His commands foremost in our lives . We learned that our response to God’s will, especially during difficult times, was key to our Christian development. Would we accept His design and plan for our lives as perfect? Would we be willing to say yes even if it meant death for ourselves or our children during life-threatening situations? In other words, would we respond in perfect submission to God’s will for us? Consider Jesus. He always placed His Father God’s will above His own. His response and obedience in the timing of His ministry, His miracles, and His going to the cross were exemplary, and such responses we are to imitate in our lives. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” Luke 22:42 I would like to share with you now, with her permission, one of the responses of a beloved friend of mine who was faced with a life-threatening disease as she suffered from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which had metastasized to her spine and abdomen: “One of the things I am understanding more while going through this journey is that the more I seek God in the many moments of the day, the more at peace I feel. This illness has forced me to slow down (sitting in chair for 6 hour infusion today and tomorrow plus 6-7 hospital stays every 3rd week). God can use anything to get our attention, but I think the greater question is, “What is our response to Him then?” Do we ignore His quiet knocking on our hearts saying, “Turn to Me, child. I’m here…be quiet, be still…listen for my voice…or do we pride ourselves in dealing with our own stresses and challenges and keep rushing through the moments of each day? Yesterday I felt strong; today I’ve cried a few buckets already, but I’m finding comfort knowing that God saves each one of those tears…so how can I ignore/push away such a caring, loving Father?” Note these words written while not knowing if she would live: “…so how can I ignore/push away such a caring, loving Father!” That’s our God my friend is referring to, and that’s the proper response! At the time of this note, my friend was undergoing six to seven months of intensive chemothereapy, and we had no idea of the end result. I am overjoyed to share with you the good news that now, several months later, she has been declared cancer-free. My prayer is that this diagnosis will be permanent over the coming months and years! My friend was one who walked with me at the beginning of my Christian journey. Her strong faith in the Lord and willingness to accept His will for her life at any and all stages, as I saw through the years, were and continue to be great examples of responses we should have during life’s difficult situations. I see in her responses, “…yet I want Your will, not mine, to be done.” This is only one example of the beautiful living lights God has placed in my life. May you look back, as I do from time to time, and thank God for those lights who have been and continue to be involved in your life’s journey, all leading you closer to Christ. VERSES: Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father,” He cried out, “everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” Exodus 24:7 “ Then he (Moses) took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.” Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. “ Job 13:15a “God might kill me, but I hope in Him.” PRAYER: Dear Father God, I sincerely pray that under any and all circumstances my response to Your will for my life will be one of complete trust. You made me, You know me, and only You know best how to use my life for Your honor and glory. May I truly mean Jesus’ words when I pray, “May Your will, not my will, be done. Jesus, You are my light, and I choose to trust and follow You. Amen.” DISCLAIMER: I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since. How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?! These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him. However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word. Therein lies the source of all truth! |
Author Candice Mary Thomas writes about loving God and loving people! Coming to Christ at age 32 and now in her 70's, Candice knows what a difference it makes living with or without Christ as one's personal Savior. Archives
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